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MUSKET AND SWORD, . 



OR THE 



Camp, March, and Firing Line 



IN THE 



ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, 



BY 



EDWIN C. BENNETT, 

PRIVATE, SERGEANT, I^IEUTENANT, CAPTAIN, MASS. 

VOI.UNTEERS. 

BVT. I.IEUT.-COI.. U. S. VOI.UNTEERS. 



BOSTON : 
COBURN PUBLISHING CO., 

No. 47 CORNHII,!,, 

1900. 



0241 



Library of Conpresa 

"Iwo Copies Received 
NOV 24 1900 

Copyright entry 
Ho.d ki.L.ffr.. 

SECOND COPY 

Delivered to 

ORDER DIVISION 

DEC 26 1900 



E. ^ ^ ^ 



COPYRIGHT, 

1900, 

BY KDWIN C. BENNKTT. 



Press of Coburn Stationery Company, Boston, Mass. 



PREFACE. 

The literature of the Civil War has been 
voluminous in its descriptions of campaigns 
and of the services of our great commanders. 
It has, however, been deficient in graphic 
portrayal of the characteristics of the en- 
listed men and their immediate leaders. 
The details of practical warfare constituting 
the every day life of officers and soldiers 
are worthy of full presentation and careful 
study. 

I have endeavored to faithfully depict 
types of the representative elements of our 
devoted army, and to record the opinions 
current at the front during the different 
stages of our prolonged contest. 

Subjects that are now topics of interest 
are discussed incidentally in the light of the 



IV. 

past. Among these are included the Can- 
teen question, the duties and services of 
Chaplains, the care of the wounded, the 
merits of volunteers, and the various details 
connected with the management of troops 
in active campaigns. 

Edwin C. Bennett. 

35 Putnam Street, 

Somerville, Mass. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. Pack i. 

Historical data always available.— Participants passing 
away. — Reminiscences valuable. — Camp, Firing-line 
and Hospital to be delineated.— On duty, April i8, 
1861. — Rule and gauge cannot be applied to the soul. 
— Arsenal in New York. — Fortress Monroe. — Gen. 
Scott. — Annapolis. — Washington. — Reviewed by 
President. — Death of Ellsworth. — Scene at White 
House. — Alexandria. — Newspaper slogan, "On to 
Richmond." — Lincoln at camp.— Fifer's revenge. — 
March to Centreville. — Watch-fires of a thousand 
circling camps. — Senator Wilson's sandwiches. — 
Blunder of nth Mass.— Ricketts's battery. — Prescott 
of Concord. — Gen. Heintzelman wounded. — "Boys, I 
can do no more." — Halt at Centreville. — Retreat to 
Washington.— Confederate loss.— Gen. W. T. Sher- 
man. — Staff organization. — Gen McDowell. — Boston. 

CHAPTER II. Page 29. 

Patriotism a passion. — Senator Wilson as an organizer. — 
Robert C. Winthrop's speech.— One flag enough under 
fix-e. — New York and Philadelphia as hosts. — Hall's 
Hill, Va.— "Its according to Cass. "—Col. Gove.— Win- 
ter quarters. — Lincoln as a rider. — Blanket Rolls de- 
scribed. — Young men as soldiers. — Forward and re- 
turn. — Hampton Roads. — Cheese box on a raft. — Shel- 
ter tents. — Yorktown. — Evacuation. — Torpedo explo- 
sion. — O. H. P. Sargent. — Hanover Court House. — 
Don't fall out in the smoke of the battle. — Muzzle- 
loaded muskets. — Hooker. — Sumner. — Mechanics- 
ville. — Gen. Lee and Jefferson Davis. — Battle Gaines 
Mills. — Heavy loss. — Col. Gove killed. — Gen. Griffin's 
opinion. — Corporal Gaffney's comment. 

CHAPTER III. Page 64. 

Malvern Hill. — Immense trains. — Union Artillery fire. 
— Thrilling experience. — Wentworth's death. — Gen. 
Charles Griffin.—" Fetch on your infantry."— Confed- 



VI. 

erate charge. — G. H. lyadd killed. — Gallant 626. Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers. — "Will get even right now." — 
Dan Harrington. — Harrison's Landing. — Night bom- 
bardment. — Down the Peninsula. — Aquia Creek. — 
March at night. — Warrenton Junction. — Porter on 
August 29th. — Armed Neutrality. — Scenes August 
30th. — Kearney. — Pope. — Washington. — Company E. 
— Wright. — Wenzel. — McClellan in command. — The 
ii8th Pennsylvania. — Heavy knapsacks. — Rations 
described. — Coffee boilers. — Frederick, Md. — South 
Mountain. — Antietam. — Burnside's bridge. — Recon- 
noissance across the Potomac. — Daddy Mulhern. — 
"Show me the man I shall shoot." — Heroism of 
Capt. Field. 

CHAPTER IV. Page 103. 

Burnside. — Longstreet. — "Might have fallen in place 
of a better man." — President L/incoln seemed to be 
looking for those who were gone. — Confederate pris- 
oners. — Pontoons described. — McClellan relieved. — 
Safe man for both sides. — Porter's farewell review. — 
Eloquent address. — Burnside in command. — Freder- 
icksburg battle. — Writer wounded. — Capt. Wilson's 
care of wounded men. — " O, Captain, I do care!" — 
Senator Wilson. — Government without funds. — Hos- 
pital in Boston. — Ball extracted by army surgeon. — 
Experience as a patient instructive. — Other methods 
advised. — Hooker in command. — Gen. Meade de- 
scribed. — Cabins, how built. — Glorious to suffer for 
your country. — Woodward or "Fiddle." — ■ Chancel- 
lorsville. — Where is Jackson ? — Aldie. — Frederick, 
Md. — Gen. Meade in command. 

CHAPTER V. Pack 137. 

Doubly volunteers. — Gettysburg. — Stretcher bearers on 
line of battle. — Surgeons. — He chased a wounded 
man. — Sergeant Wright. — First doctor that has under- 
stood my case. — Tact required with wounded. — i8th 
Massachusetts wouldn't cheer. — Waiting for the army 
to come again. — Horses out-marched. — Kearney's 
sabre. — Bristow. — Private Russell. — Would have lain 
down and died if given time. — Fight of the Provost 
Guard. — Fletcher Webster's grave. — Gen. Sykes 
halted by picket. — Battle at Rappahannock Station. 



VII. 



CHAPTER VI. Pack i68. 

Mine Run Campaign. — Raid on train. — Lee's defences. — 
Trembling for fear we would not attack. — ^James Rich- 
ardson, his pride and courage. — General Lee's remark. 
— Lieut. Robert Davis. — Picket. — Chaplains. — Bax- 
ter's remarks. — Importance and abuses of religious 
branch of service. — Freeman. — Black Sam. — Tragedy 
atFants's. — Officers of 2nd Regulars. — The Cavalry 
vidette ambushed. — Assailant killed. — Sentence of 
death revoked by General Griffin. — What did the Pres- 
ident say ? — Confederates merciless to deserters. 



CHAPTER VII. Page 194. 

Outlook for 1864. — General Grant in command. — Defen- 
sive Campaign of Confederates, — Possibilities of its 
success. — Exhaustion and division in the North. — Get- 
tysburg not decisive.— European sentiment. — Ulysses 
or Useless. — Condition of Union Army. — Cavalry. — 
Artillery. — Infantry. — Confederate Army. — Infantry 
superb. — Simplicity of Tactics. — Wilderness. — May 
5th and 6th. — Lamos and Gilligan. — Grant and Meade 
when informed of break in 6th Corps. — Grant's de- 
cision to persist the turning point. — Fight of Picket 
detail. — Flag of Alabama regiment captured. — "Never 
mind, I suppose you had to do it." — Death of Captain 
Davis. 



CHAPTER VIII. Page 226. 

Laurel Hill May loth. — The attack. — Sergeant Wilson 
mortally wounded. — Hugh Gilligan loses a leg. — Cas- 
ualties very great. — Congratulations on being alive not 
clearly in order. — First Massachusetts Heavy Artil- 
lery. — General Hancock. — North Anna. — "Mr. Lee is 
not here." — Alger's shot for luck. — Captain Plunkett. 
— Ninth and Thirty-second Massachusetts. — Colonel 
Tilton's adventure. — "Shoot this Yank!" — "Boys, I 
had him !" — General Warren. — Skirmishes May 30th. 
— The Johnny would not borrow a percussion cap. — 
Lieut. Fleming. — Staff appointment as Acting Assist- 
ant Adjutant General of Brigade. 



VIII. 

CHAPTER IX. Page 256. 

Colonel Sweitzer. — Character sketched. — Lieut. John 
Seitz, Aide-de-camp. — His distinguished merit. — 
"When the swallows." — Thomas Warren. — The 21st 
Pennsylvania dismounted cavalry. — Battle June 3, 
1864. — A lively ride. — Captain J. H. Baxter mortally 
wounded. — Last interview. — Phillips's 5th Massachu- 
setts Battery. — Gallant 9th Massachusetts. — Truce on 
the Picket Line. — Petersburg. — Assault June i8th. — 
4th Michigan. — Thomas Warren killed. — Colonel 
Prescott mortally wounded. — The 155th Pennsylvania. 
— Hard bread condemned and issued. 

CHAPTER X. Page 282. 

Line of 2nd Corps restored. — 32nd Massachusetts suf- 
fers. — Colonel Blaisdell of nth Massachusetts. — Gen- 
eral Meade present. — Morning reports of cumulative 
losses. — Lieut. Seitz's farwellto General Griffin. — Suf- 
ficiently amused. — Colonel Gregory. — Lieut. Bourne. 
— The covering trenches. — Locomotive engineers and 
firemen on military roads. — The mine fiasco. — Drafted 
men faithful.— Battle of Weldon R. R.— Gallant 155th 
Pennsylvania. — Lieut. Bourne mortally wounded. — 
Reams Station. — Music cut off as if by a knife. — Bat- 
tles at Peeble's farm. — Return to the regiment. — 
Meade's narrow escape. — Arrival in Boston. 

CHAPTER XI. Page 312. 

Muster out. — Views of Senator Wilson October 17th, 
1864. — Visit to Washington. — Casey's board. — Lin- 
coln's remark. — Arrival at the front. — Colored 
troops. — Observations of Lieut. Ackerman. — The 54th 
Massachusetts. — Brevet commissions. — Interview with 
General Griffin. — President Lincoln's levee. — His ap- 
pearance physically. — Outworn by toil and care. — 
The veterans and the people. — Liquor in the army. — 
Present system opposed. — Recognition of merit a 
potent factor. — Volunteers keep army in touch with 
the people. — Thomas Scott's services. — Compensa- 
tions for prolonged war. — Effusive demonstrations 
deprecated. — Change in the methods caused by tele- 
graph and press. - Glorious to live for the country. — 
Valedictory. 



CHAPTER I. 

Historical data always available. — Participants passing 
away. — Reminiscences valuable. — Camp, Firing-line 
and Hospital to be delineated. — On duty, April i8, 
1861. — Rule and gauge cannot be applied to the soul. 
— Arsenal in New York. — Fortress Monroe. — Gen. 
Scott. — Annapolis. — Washington. — Reviewed by 
President. — Death of Ellsworth. — Scene at White 
House. — Alexandria. — Newspaper slogan, "On to 
Richmond." — Lincoln at camp. — Fifer's revenge. — 
March to Centreville. — Watch-fires of a thousand 
circling camps. — Senator Wilson's sandwiches. — 
Blunder of nth Mass. — Ricketts's battery. — Prescott 
of Concord. — Gen. Heintzelman wounded. — "Boys, I 
can do no more." — Halt at Centreville.-- Retreat to 
Washington. — Confederate loss. — Gen. Vv . T. Sher- 
man. — Staff organization. — Gen McDowell. — Boston. 

JHE great civil war of this coun- 
try will ever be regarded as an 
epoch in our history, and will 
long be the theme of writers 
and historians, and eventually the immense 
mass of data available, in official archives, 
will be exhaustively treated. 




2 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

The participants in the struggle are fast 
passing away, and with them are perishing 
reminiscences, that should be preserved to 
vivify and supplement the descriptions 
and deductions of authors and historical 
students. 

Results are readily known, but causes of 
success are not easily discernible, and it is 
my purpose in these pages to delineate 
faithfully the characteristics of the Union 
soldiers, from the standpoint of the camp, 
march, firing-line, and hospital. Their de- 
votion was the principal factor in the suc- 
cess of the cause, and every source of 
information concerning them should be 
critically studied. 

Personal reminiscences have a graphic 
power that compensates fully for the ap- 
pearance of egotism that is inseparable from 
them, but if the narrator adheres strictly to 
the truth, he is within the limitations of 
his rights. It is my aim to write a book 
that will enable its readers to realize what 
the war was, as seen by those at the front, 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 6 

and that will make the services of my com- 
rades better understood, and promote the 
love and appreciation of the blessings of 
peace. 

I joined the Massachusetts Volunteer Mil- 
itia in the summer of i860. I was then 
twenty years old. My enlistment was in 
the company of my native town, Somer- 
ville, Mass. The organization was desig- 
nated as the Somerville Light Infantry, and 
as Company I, in the 5th Massachusetts 
Volunteer Militia. When the regiment 
was summoned to arms by Governor John 
A. Andrew, in response to the call for 
troops by President Lincoln, after the at- 
tack upon Fort Sumter, I reported for duty 
at the armory of my company, April 18, 
1861. 

On Saturday, the 20th of April, the regi- 
ment assembled at Fanueil Hall, Boston, to 
receive further equipment, but was not 
furnished with serviceable uniforms, retain- 
ing our gray dress suits with tight fitting 
padded coats. Many of our number were 



4 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

recruits, wlio enlisted for tlie campaign. 
Some of tliem liad formerly served in the 
militia, and all showed remarkable aptitude 
in learning their duty. The physical ex- 
aminations were informal, and not by a 
physician. Zeal and patriotism were recog- 
nized as potent factors, and their outward 
manifestations were given full credence. 
The rule and gauge cannot be applied to 
the soul of a man. 

Our company was commanded by Captain 
George O. Brastow, who had long been a 
leader in public affairs in our community. 
He was then fifty years of age, his disci- 
pline was somewhat paternal, but he never 
failed to command the affection and respect 
of his subordinates. My point of observa- 
tion was that of a private soldier. 

Upon the morning of Sunday, April 21, 
1861, headed by resounding music, the regi- 
ment marched to the Boston and Albany 
Depot and was soon en route for the city of 
New York. Crowds greeted us at frequent 
intervals, and the patriotic songs of our 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 

impromptu quartette excited the wildest 
enthusiasm. 

The ovation was indeed inspiring and 
had lasting effect upon the morale of the 
regiment. 

The attack upon the 6th Mass. Volunteer 
Militia, in Baltimore, upon the 19th of 
April, inflamed us, and the general desire 
with us was to avenge it summarily, and 
the expectation was that we would have a 
chance to do so. 

We arrived in New York about dusk, 
and were welcomed by immense crowds, and 
entertained by generous hosts, at one of the 
principal hotels. 

Early upon the 22nd, we embarked upon 
a steamer for the South, and were quartered 
mainly in the hold of the vessel, upon loose 
hay, and among artillery caissons ; and for 
rations, were dependent for several days 
upon the contents of our haversacks that 
were filled in Boston. Water was the only 
beverage furnished gratuitously. Fortress 
Monroe presented a charming view. Its 



6 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

garrison of seventy men had just been rein- 
forced by the 3d and 4th Massachusetts Vol- 
unteer Militia. Gen. Winfield Scott, whose 
services at this period were of inestimable 
value and do not now receive just recog- 
nition, insisted that, from a military or 
strategic point of view. Fortress Monroe 
was more important than Washington, as 
it was the key to Virginia and the right 
base of operations for the control of the 
southern coast, and contained immense sup- 
plies of ordnance that we needed. We were 
exceedingly gratified to know that our state 
had been instrumental in preserving for our 
cause this position so essential foroursuccess. 
We landed at Annapolis, Maryland, on 
either April 24th or 25th, and rested in the 
beautiful grounds of the Naval Academy, 
and at sunset we began our march to An- 
napolis Junction, — supposed to be only nine 
miles distant. As our column halted, for 
some reason unknown to us, on a street 
lined with comfortable homes, cries of 
alarm came from women and children, who 



MUSKET AND SWORD. < 

had been taught to regard us as ruthless in- 
vaders. This was a surprise to us, as 
we were animated by kindly sentiments 
towards all non-combatants in the South, 
and that fact soon became well known. 

We halted at the Junction, after a fa- 
tiguing tramp along the railroad, as we 
were worn by the excitement of the week 
and not hardened by experience in march- 
ing ; and after a delay of twenty-four 
hours, took a train for Washington and 
were quartered in the Treasury Building, 
near the White House, — we occupied the 
front facing the Potomac. The windows of 
the lower floor were partly filled with bags 
of sand, to screen troops in firing upon as- 
sailants. The 6th Mass. Vol. Militia was 
located in the Capitol, occupying the sump- 
tuous rooms of the Speaker and Com- 
mittees. The situation was regarded as 
precarious ; the state of Virginia was en- 
deavoring to arbitrate, Robert E. Lee was 
upon the staff of General Scott until April 
20th, and while the Old Dominion hesita- 



8 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ted, dreading to be made the theatre of war, 
the North was putting forth its energies 
and massing an army in Washington, 
which was however commanded by Arling- 
ton Heights, across the Potomac. The ma- 
jority of the inhabitants of the District of 
Columbia were undoubtedly secessionists 
and were in accord with the general senti- 
ment in Maryland and eastern Virginia, 
and they had counted upon the support of 
the city of New York, under the lead of 
Fernando Wood, and expected to seize the 
seat of the national government with but 
little trouble, if war ensued. The uprising 
in the North thwarted their schemes, and 
their chagrin was evident, despite efforts to 
disguise it. 

On May ist, our regiment paraded for 
muster in Lrafayette Park, opposite the 
White House. General Irwin McDowell 
was the mustering officer. The ceremony 
was quite impressive. At its conclusion, we 
entered the grounds of the Executive Man- 
sion and passed in review before President 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 9 

Lincoln. He was dressed in black and was 
very erect ; his hair was untouched by the 
frosts of time and care ; his whole bearing 
was sympathetic, yet dignified. He was 
then 52 years old, but looked younger. 

The regiment was kept under strict dis- 
cipline, and was drilled almost daily in the 
streets of Washington, which, with but 
few exceptions, were in a primitive condi- 
tion. Our quarters were crowded and un- 
healthy, and the physical condition of the 
battalion was unsatisfactory, and we were 
all eager for a change. 

Upon May 24th, Alexandria, on the Vir- 
ginia side of the Potomac and six miles be- 
low Washington, was occupied by the 
Union forces, and we were under arms and 
marched to the river, — but soon returned 
to our quarters. 

Col. Ellsworth, commanding the New 
York Fire Zouave regiment, was killed in 
the Marshall House, Alexandria, by the 
proprietor, while he was returning from the 
roof with a rebel flag. His body lay in 



10 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

State in the east room of the White House. 
I gained admission, and was deeply im- 
pressed by the grief manifested by those 
who thronged to gaze upon the remains of 
a gallant soldier, whose ability and zeal had 
presaged a useful and brilliant career. His 
action was rash. His place was with his 
regiment, and he should not have left it to 
do a corporal's duty. 

Within two or three days following the 
seizure of Alexandria, we crossed the Poto- 
mac and camped in a field skirted by the 
canal, and near Alexandria. We had, at 
this time, been furnished with the plain 
and serviceable uniforms of the regular 
army. What became of our showy militia 
garments, I cannot recall. We soon changed 
our location to a large common nearly a 
mile west of Alexandria, and were busy 
with patrol duty in the city and with labor 
upon the ditches and embankments of Fort 
Ellsworth. The boys toiled patiently, but 
were grateful when laborers from the North 
relieved them. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 11 

The New York papers were received reg- 
ularly. The Tribune was very bitterly op- 
posed to the policy pursued by Gen. Scott 
in stopping on the Virginia bank of the 
Potomac, and fortifying elaborately Arling- 
ton Heights. Its denunciations were al- 
most frantic, but unavailing. The General 
recognized the fact that we were at war, 
and he was determined not to deviate from 
sound military principles, which dictated 
that he should secure his base of opera- 
tions, and at the same time ensure the safe- 
ty of the Capital, — a very important 
consideration politically. 

We were assigned to the ist Brigade, 
commanded by Gen. Franklin. The nth 
Massachusetts Volunteers and ist Minneso- 
ta were also in the Brigade, which belonged 
to Heintzelman's Division. The ist Min- 
nesota became famous, and had in its ranks 
a great many Maine men, who had emigrat- 
ed from the pineries of that state to the 
lumber camps of Minnesota. 

Dr. Luther V. Bell was Surgeon of the 



12 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

1 1 til Mass. He was a gentleman of large 
means and of very liigli rank in his pro- 
fession, and entered the service from patri- 
otic motives. He had been a resident of 
Somerville for several years, and, visiting 
our company, proffered his professional 
skill and purse to us, when needed. The 
health of the regiment improved, although 
the heat was intense. 

Our duties were arduous, but were occa- 
sionally enlivened by events worthy of 
note. The President visited the camp with 
W. H. Seward, Secretary of State, and 
without a military escort, and stopped fully 
a half hour. He wore a long close-fitting 
linen duster, which magnified his stature of 
six feet four inches. No review was or- 
dered ; he simply passed through the com- 
pany streets and greeted pleasantly all 
whom he met. President Lincoln, upon 
his merits as a man, was always first in the 
hearts of the great majority of the Army 
of the Potomac. In him they knew 
they had a friend sincere and steadfast > 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 13 

who recognized manhood, irrespective of 
rank. 

There occurred, while in this camp, an 
incident, trifling in itself, but illustrative 
of the lights and shades of military life. 
A fifer, for some petty offence, was sen- 
tenced by the regimental court-martial to 
play upon his instrument for two hours in 
front of headquarters. The sentence failed 
to prescribe the programme, it having been 
supposed that it would be varied, as the 
performer was skilled in his profession. 
He however saw his opportunity, and se- 
lected a doleful air entitled, " On the Road 
to Boston," and inflicted it upon his hear- 
ers until his time had expired. The boys 
appreciated the joke, and the Field and 
Staff endeavored to conceal their discom- 
fiture, but did not succeed. 

We were present, in heavy marching or- 
der, at a parade of the division through 
the streets of Alexandria, early in July. 
It was apparent a blow would be struck 
before the expiration of the time of the 



14 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

three-months men. The people were goad- 
ed by the visionary element to demand 
immediate and aggressive action. The 
regiment had become very proficient in 
skirmish drill ; and in all field exercises 
its appearance was worthy of a battalion 
that had been trained for years. The 
men were chiefly from cities and large 
towns, and accustomed to system and 
obedience in their home avocations, and 
were resolved to master the details of 
military life in as brief time as possible. 

We commenced our movement to Bull 
Run July i6, reaching Centerville, twenty 
miles distant, upon the i8th. We had no 
cover, not even the little shelter-tents, — 
afterwards so familiar, — but gathered 
boughs and cut poles to sustain them, and 
managed to screen ourselves from the sun. 

The spectacle at night was inspiring, — 
thousands of fires illumined the hills and 
valleys. " The watch-fires of a thousand 
circling camps '* were grand beyond de- 
scription. Our rations were limited upon 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 15 

the 19th, and some stray sheep were caught 
and killed by the regiment and were a 
welcome addition to our rations. 

A regiment camped near us claimed its 
discharge, and was probably in equity en- 
titled to it, although technically held, as 
its muster by the government did not date 
back to the time when it was actually on 
duty, and after considerable controversy 
its contention was allowed. Our regiment 
could have made the same plea, as it as- 
sembled in Faneuil Hall, April 20, but 
was mustered for three months to date 
from May i ; but there was no protest en- 
tered, — we were willing to fight whether 
our term was out or not. 

Ricketts's Battery bivouacked near us. It 
belonged to the regular army, and the fine 
bearing of its men and the thoroughness 
with which duty was done had an excellent 
effect. Nearly all of its enlisted men had 
been long in the service ; not one had de- 
serted, or asked for discharge on account of 
sympathy for secession. I believe Magruder 



16 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

had been their captain, and was popular, 
but could not influence any of his men by 
his example in leaving our army and join- 
ing the Confederates. 

A skirmish at Blackburn's Ford, on the 
i8th, in which Richardson's Brigade was 
engaged and behaved admirably, excited 
much interest. The ist Mass. Volunteer 
Infantry was in the brigade and was han- 
dled with skill and great intrepidity by Col. 
Robert Cowdin. The Union loss was 83 
killed and wounded. 

On the morning of the 21st of July, 1861, 
our columns were in motion for the Bull 
Run field, on the plains of Manassas. 

We soon met Senator Henry Wilson in 
an open barouche. He had a large ham- 
per of sandwiches, which were freely giv- 
en by an attendant to the soldiers. We 
met with many delays, but at 11:30 were 
near the enemy. We halted and loaded, 
and then advanced in column by company. 

We passed over a field abounding in ripe 
blackberries. Our precision and steadiness 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 17 

were so marked as to cause us to be taken 
for Regulars. A poor fellow bleeding pro- 
fusely was borne in a blanket past us to the 
rear. The sight seemed to infuriate our 
men who were confident and determined. 

We halted upon an undulation and below 
its crest, on our left was the nth Massachu- 
setts Volunteers. It was not well in hand. 
We were soon ordered to fire by company, 
and every company advancing in turn to the 
summit fired deliberately and then filed to 
the rear. When the nth Massachusetts 
was ordered to fire it was not under control 
and arose and fired en masse^ and as they 
had only the front of one company and the 
ground ascended towards the enemy they 
killed and wounded many of their own num- 
bers. We called out to them to stop, and 
our adjutant, John G. Chambers, rushed 
among them and aided very much in get- 
ting them comparatively calm. The nth 
Massachusetts was a new regiment of ex- 
cellent material, and soon became very 
efficient, in fact, fought afterwards in line 



18 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

in this battle, with great steadiness. 

Ricketts's battery was well placed, to our 
right and rear, and was delivering an effec- 
tive fire. It was soon advanced across a 
farm road, into an open field in our front. 
We filed to the right and then to the left, 
up the road behind the battery, to support 
it, or attack the enemy as might be advisa- 
ble. 

It was a blunder to put the artillery in 
the lead, and could only have been made 
upon the supposition that the rebels were 
demoralized. If it had taken position on the 
other side of the road, and where there were 
many commanding points, it would have 
had a screen of infantry to protect it, and 
which would have been encouraged by its 
fire, which would have passed over our men. 
The short distance to the enemy in the 
woods placed them in easy range. Solid 
shot and shells are more effective against 
troops sheltered by timber than grape or 
canister. The battery ventured so near 
the Confederate line of battle that the men 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 19 

were stricken down like grass before a 
scythe. They did not have a chance to 
unlimber before one half their number were 
killed and wounded. One caisson or amuni- 
tion wagon passed over or through us. It 
was drawn by six horses in three spans or 
pairs, with a rider or driver for each span. 
Three men were on the seat ; all of them 
were wounded. One only, a sergeant, could 
sit erect. Their course would have taken 
them over a wounded man lying helpless in 
the ditch beside the road. The sergeant 
called out sharply to the drivers ordering 
them to swing to the left, saving the poor 
fellow from further injury. As they swerved 
from their course a horse in the middle span 
was shot, and fell, but the harness was 
strong and he was drawn rapidly along out 
of the close range of the merciless fire. 

Captain J. B. Ricketts commanded his 
battery with dauntless bravery and was 
wounded, losing a leg, and was taken pris- 
oner. He was soon exchanged and made 
Brigadier General, and commanded a divi- 



20 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

sion of the 6tli Corps, and was distinguislied 
for his bravery and unselfish devotion. 

When General Sedgwick was killed, the 
corps chief of staff, notified General Rick- 
etts, that as senior division general, the com- 
mand of the corps devolved upon him. He 
replied, saying : ' ' General Sedgwick thought 
that General Wright should succeed him," 
and when General Wright assumed com- 
mand by order of General Meade, he was 
zealously supported by General Ricketts, 
who remained at the head of his division. 

The 5th Massachusetts was at this time 
somewhat broken ; the Lieutenant Colonel 
and Major had been commissioned in the reg- 
ular army, and the vacancies had not been 
filled. Col. S. C. Lawrence was wounded 
early in the contest, and Lt. John Chambers 
was the only officer of the field and staff 
remaining. He was very brave and efficient 
but could not be everywhere. 

A portion of our company, in which I was 
included, attached themselves to the com- 
pany from Concord belonging to the regi- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 21 

ment. It was led by Captain Geo. L. Pres- 
cott, afterwards Colonel of the 32d Massa- 
chusetts Volunteers, and killed at Petersburg 
June i8, 1864. He displayed great gallant- 
ry. I well recall his exhortations and ex- 
ample. We were in line with the ist Min- 
nesota and were as steadfast, which is claim- 
ing very much. Many organizations fought 
desperately and kept their formations in- 
tact. This applies to battalions only ; there 
was a lack of unity as brigades and divi- 
sions. 

General S. P. Heintzelman in command 
of the division was mounted on a coal black 
horse. He exposed himself fearlessly and 
was severely wounded in an arm, and when 
faint from pain and loss of blood, said apol- 
ogetically to the men around him : " Boys, I 
can do no more." He was warmly praised 
by those who heard him and urged to retire. 
He was a Pennsylvanian, and an officer of 
the regular army, and very simple and frank 
in manners. His intrepidity and unselfish 
loyalty to the cause combined with his other 



22 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

noble qualities made him very popular in 
tlie army. He was then quite gray and was 
not physically vigorous. 

On our portion of the field the battle was 
hotly contested for more than two hours. 
We retained the open ground and the enemy 
held the woods. Finally they were rein- 
forced heavily and our troops gave way, 
seemingly by common consent, and began to 
retreat by the route traveled in our advance. 
There was no concerted effort to guard our 
rear neither did the enemy push us vigorous- 
ly. They were apparently glad to be rid of 
us, and suffered very severely prior to our 
withdrawal. The panic was among the non- 
combatants and stragglers. Those who fled 
wildly and magnified our defeat, were truthful 
so far as they portrayed their own cowardice. 

The Union army was in its retreat to Cen- 
treville badly disorganized. Many battal- 
ions preserved their formation intact and 
marched at route step avoiding all sem- 
blance of haste and imparted steadiness to 
the retreat. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 23 

The 71st New York Volunteers were near 
us and kept their files dressed, and were 
quiet and determined in their bearing. 
Their Colonel, the brother of Simon Cam- 
eron, Secretary of War, had been killed in 
the battle. 

The New York Fire Zouaves, the regiment 
raised by the lamented Colonel Ellsworth, 
did not distinguish itself notably. As we 
approached Centreville we passed formida- 
ble lines of infantry in position to cover our 
retreat. 

We reached our camp or bivouac at Cen- 
treville at dusk, having marched during the 
day twenty miles, and been under fire three 
hours. We rested in our quarters for an 
hour expecting that we would remain all 
night and try conclusions again on the mor- 
row. But we were ordered to fall in and 
continue our retreat and reached our camp 
near Alexandria, early in the morning of 
the 22d. 

This last movement was a severe test of 
our endurance as the distance was twenty 



24 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

miles and few halts were made. Niglit 
marclies if lengthy are fatiguing even if 
preceded by a day of rest. 

The Union Army could have been success- 
fully reorganized at Centreville during the 
night, and would have fought stubbornly 
upon the following day if so ordered. But 
the decision to return to the Washington 
defences was wise, as the terms of many of 
the regiments would very soon expire. Our 
regiment proceeded after a very brief delay 
to Washington. I wish to record the fact 
that the people of Alexandria were very 
kind to our wounded. This was unexpected 
as they were nearly all secessionists, but 
they were also tolerant and broad in their 
sympathies. 

No Union soldier unless sick or wounded 
should have been taken as a prisoner during 
this campaign. We were not flanked or 
surrounded at any point. The number of 
troops taken over Bull Run and actively 
engaged under General McDowell was 
18,572 and twenty-four pieces of artillery. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 25 

Our losses were 460 killed, 11 24 wounded, 
13 12 captured or missing. The confeder- 
ates had under fire about the same force in 
numbers as General McDowell, with the 
loss of 387 killed, 1582 wounded. These 
statistics sustain my statement regarding 
the battle prior to the advent of General 
Johnston with his division from the Shenan- 
doah Valley. 

General Irwin McDowell was an able 
officer, and his campaign was well planned 
in the judgment of competent critics. But 
his army was inexperienced and embraced 
within its ranks too many short term men, 
and had not effective organization of its brig- 
ades. General McDowell could have won 
however, had he been properly supported 
by all his leading subordinates. General 
Daniel Tyler undoubtedly failed to display 
the energy that the part assigned him de- 
manded. If General W. T. Sherman had 
commanded Tyler's division, instead of one 
of its brigades, it is more than probable 
that we would have been successful. Four 



26 MUSKKT AND SWORD. 

brigades of the division would have been 
actively engaged instead of only two. Very 
few of our officers of the regular army who 
were present, were familiar with the man- 
agement of large bodies of troops. To 
direct them skilfully in an offensive cam- 
paign was beyond the ability of the majority 
of this class. It is not just to ascribe our 
failure to the rank and file wholly. The 
general staff organization was defective, its 
importance was not appreciated, and never 
has been in our army. Service upon it has 
not generally been properly recognized ; the 
case of General Rawlins is a notable ex- 
ception. 

The Emperor Napoleon organized his 
staff with the utmost care, and lavished 
honors and wealth upon Berthier its chief, 
whose mental grasp and executive ability 
were wonderful. When entering the Water- 
loo campaign the question of the selection 
of a successor to Berthier was thought to be 
of vital importance. Marshal Soult was 
appointed, but according to Thiers, with 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 27 

all his experience and conceded ability, lie 
proved far inferior to Berthier. 

General McDowell tried to do too much 
tinder fire personally. He merits a high 
place in the esteem of the people. He was 
deserving but unfortunate. The wisdom of 
General Scott was not now challenged, and 
the regret was universal that he was not 
twenty years younger and able to take com- 
mand in the field. 

The campaign as a whole was an humili- 
ation to the North, and had a chastening 
influence. The people rose grandly to the 
demands of the crisis. The conviction pre- 
vailed that our resources would be tasked to 
the utmost before success in restoring the 
Union would be achieved. 

Our regiment remained in Washington 
for three days. During that period I visited 
the Capitol and saw John C. Breckenridge 
in his seat as a Senator from Kentucky. 
He was soon a general in the Confederate 
Army. We were very hospitably enter- 
tained on our journey home by the citizens 



28 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

of Philadelphia. Our reception in Boston 
was an ovation. The record made by us 
commanded respect. It was also politic to 
foster the disposition to re-enlist that existed 
in the regiment. 

The three months men who enlisted in 
response to the President's proclamation of 
April 15, 1861, rendered timely service, 
and, I venture to hope, will ever be held in 
honorable remembrance by the American 
people. 



*{ 



CHAPTER II. 

Patriotism a passion. — Senator Wilson as an organizer. — 
Robert C. Winthrop's speech. — One flag enough under 
fire. — New York and Philadelphia as hosts. — Hall's 
Hill, Va.— "Its according to Cass. "—Col. Gove.— Win- 
ter quarters. — Lincoln as a rider. — Blanket Rolls de- 
scribed. — Young men as soldiers. — Forward and re- 
turn. — Hampton Roads. — Cheese box on a raft. — Shel- 
ter tents. — Yorktown. — Evacuation. — Torpedo explo- 
sion. — O. H. P. Sargent. — Hanover Court House. — 
Don't fall out in the smoke of the battle. — Muzzle- 
loaded muskets. — Hooker. — Sumner. — Mechanics- 
ville. — Gen. Lee and Jefferson Davis. — Battle Gaines 
Mills.— Heavy loss.— Col. Gove killed.— Gen. Griffin's 
opinion. — Corporal Gaffney's comment. 

Patriotism had now become a passion with 
the young men of the North. Those who 
had served three months were mastered by 
it. Nearly all found that they could not 
be content at home, while the fate of the 
country was at stake upon the field of bat- 
tle. 

I enlisted September i6, 1861, in Co. 
G, 22d Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. 



30 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

The company was called the Wellington 
Guards, in honor of J. C. Wellington of 
Cambridge, who was its patron. Several of 
our members, among whom was Sergeant J. 
H. Baxter, had been in the Cambridge Com- 
pany of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia 
at Fortress Monroe. 

I was appointed 4th Sergeant, and entered 
upon duty at the camp established at Lynn- 
field, Mass. The 3rd Battery of Light 
Artillery and the Second Sharpshooters 
were organized at the same time under the 
auspices of Senator Henry Wilson, who was 
Colonel of the 22d Regiment. He was not 
expected to command us in the field. Over 
one hundred and fifty of our number had 
seen duty under the first call of the Presi- 
dent, and as an element were very influential 
in the development of the regiment to a very 
high standard of efficiency second to that of 
no other organization from our State. The 
2d Sharpshooters and 3d Battery were simi- 
larly benefitted and with like results. The 
Sharpshooters were attached to the regiment 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 31 

SO closely, as to almost lose their identity, and 
they share whatever honor we attained. 

The service of the 3d Battery, under Cap- 
tain A. P. Martin, was separate and distinct 
from ours, and its glorious record is well 
known to all interested in the military his- 
tory of Massachusetts. 

We arrived in Boston October 8, 1861, 
and formed line upon the Common, where 
immense throngs were present. A beautiful 
flag was given us, Hon. Robert C. Winthrop 
speaking for the donors. His address was 
able and eloquent, and has survived the 
war. It is regarded as a classic in cultured 
circles. We had also a State flag but never 
took it into action. One flag or color was 
enough to guard under fire. We were fight- 
ing for the national principle and as union 
soldiers, and while proud of our State, the 
supremacy of "• Old Glory," was the object 
of our efforts and its presence inspired us as 
no other emblem could. 

We arrived in New York via Springfield, 
at 10 A. M., on the 9th. The commissioned 



32 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

officers were entertained sumptuously, at 
the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Fervidly patriotic 
speeches were made by eloquent orators. 
But the rank and file were literally and 
metaphorically, given soup. It was of dubi- 
ous quality and was passed from a window, 
to those who would accept it, and comprised 
the whole menu. 

We then marched four miles on Broad- 
way, carrying full equipment, well filled 
knapsacks included. This was a severe test 
for new troops, but was borne patientl}^, 
and the spectacle undoubtedly had a good 
moral effect upon the crowds that witnesed 
it. 

Philadelphia greeted us on the morning 
of October lo. The men were informed 
that they would be given breakfast by the 
hospitable people of that noble city. Very 
many were reluctant to accept the kind 
invitation, expecting the fare would be 
similar to that in New York. But those 
who had been enlightened by experience 
knew otherwise, and without vigorous as- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 33 

sertion of authority, induced all to fall in. 

The arrangements were complete ; water, 
soap, and towels were plentiful, and a seat 
at a bountiful table was provided for every 
guest. The ladies of the neighborhood 
were in attendance to wait upon the tables. 
The consideration and sympathy shown im- 
pressed the men profoundly, and their be- 
havior was admirable. The Philadelphians 
maintained a perfect system of entertain- 
ment for Union soldiers in transit through 
their limits during the war. 

Philadelphia is well worthy of its name, 
" City of Brotherly Love.'^ Unfailing 
courtesy and substantial hospitality were 
exemplified by it during the nation's ordeal, 
and its fame will never pale in the grateful 
hearts of the Union veterans. 

We prefaced our departure from Phila- 
delphia with a street parade, the fatigue 
of which was cheerfully endured. All de- 
sired to please our hosts. We arrived in 
Washington on the nth, and found great 
activity existing in military affairs. Troops 

4 



34 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

were visible in every direction and their 
organization and equipment were being 
skilfully directed. Work upon the dome of 
the Capitol was in progress, although the 
camps of the enemy at Munson's Hill were 
visible from it. 

Upon the 13th of October, we proceeded 
to Hull's Hill, Va., six miles distant, and 
near Fall's Church. Our camp for the winter 
of 1861-62 was established here, and many 
pleasant memories are associated with it. 

We were assigned to the brigade of Gen. 
J. H. Martindale, which consisted of the 
2nd Maine, i8th Massachusetts, 22nd Mas- 
sachusetts, and 25th New York. The other 
two brigades of Gen. F. J. Porter's division 
were commanded respectively by Generals 
Daniel Butterfield and G. W. Morell. The 
9th Mass. Volunteers was in Morell's bri- 
gade, and was a good neighbor to us. 

Many of our men visited the 9th when 
practicable, and always brought back some 
items of interest. Col. Thomas Cass, [oi 
that noble Celtic regiment, was a gallant 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 35 

officer and very diligent in drilling his com- 
mand, but, like many others of greater ex- 
perience, would occasionally deviate from 
the tactics as set forth by Hardee, the pre- 
scribed authority. While directing some 
difficult evolution, he inadvertently gave an 
order palpably erroneous. A captain said : 
" Colonel, that is not according to Hardee." 
The instantaneous reply was : " It is ac- 
cording to Cass.'^ The ready wit of the 
answer effaced his mistake. 

Col. Henry Wilson took leave of the regi- 
ment on October 27, to resume his duties 
as a member of the Senate of the United 
States. He was chairman of the Military 
Committee of that body, and soon became 
one of the controlling leaders in the con- 
duct of the war. Col. Jesse A. Gove, for- 
merly a captain of the loth Regular 
Infantry, assumed command. He was a 
native of New Hampshire and a graduate 
of the military academy at Norwich, Ver- 
mont, and was thirty-seven years of age. 
He was master of every detail of his pro- 



36 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

fessioii and an accomplished gentleman. 
Our organization was largely indebted to 
him for its efficiency, as he guided and 
moulded it during the formative period. 

We were provided with Sibley circular 
tents, twelve feet in diameter at base, and 
tapering to a point at ten feet above. 
Chestnut timber was abundant, and we cut 
logs eight inches in diameter and six feet 
in length, and split them in halves. We 
then dug ditches, conforming to the dimen- 
sions of the tents, and set our slabs firmly 
in them, leaving spaces for doors. Upon 
these foundations we raised our tents and, 
with sheet iron stoves in some cases, where 
money was abundant, our habitations were 
made comfortable. The majority impro- 
vised crude fire-places of stone wnth chim- 
neys of sticks, lined with mortar, made of 
red clay, which was also used to close open- 
ings between the slabs of the foundations of 
the tents. Rude bunks, each for two per- 
sons, were built around our wooden walls, 
about three feet from the ground. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 37 

We were taught early to help ourselves. 
As a class, the soldiers of the Army of 
the Potomac were very industrious. They 
toiled indefatigably to make their quarters 
inviting, often leaving them as soon as 
finished, but never failing to work again 
with the same end in view if there was a 
probability that we should stay for a few 
days. The rank and file washed their own 
clothes in a primitive way. They did not 
qualify themselves however for the laundry 
business while in the army. 

Company and battalion drills were fre- 
quent, but not unreasonable in length. 
Skirmish drill was very ably taught, and 
strict attention given to care of quarters. 
The diet of the force was supervised closely. 
Careful instruction was imparted to those 
in charge of accounts and reports. 

A large plain, a half mile from our camp, 
was used for brigade and division drills and 
reviews. The division was reviewed at 
least twice by the President. He was well 
mounted upon these occasions, and would 



38 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ride rapidly twenty paces in advance of liis 
brilliant escort. He was an excellent rider 
and wholly at ease in the saddle. As he 
passed on he would scrutinize the line 
closely, and raise his hat to every regi- 
mental color. He was dressed in plain 
black and wore the conventional stove pipe 
hat. The contrast between him and the 
showy array or cavalcade of at least fifty 
officers in full uniform who were following 
him was very striking. He did not lose by 
the comparison. His individuality was 
made more conspicuous. We all felt that 
he represented the highest type of manhood 
and was worthy to be our leader. 

There was a grand review November 20th, 
of all available troops, at Bailey's Cross 
Roads. One hundred thousand men were 
massed in an insufficent space. They 
marched in review before the President in 
close column of about fifty files front. The 
general effect was imposing but bewilder- 
ing, and fatiguing to the troops. 

The progress of the war in the west was 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 39 

intently watched by us. The successes at 
Mill Spring and Fort Donelson, were enthu- 
siastically greeted. It was believed by the 
majority that the contest in Virginia would 
be brief and our triumph achieved without 
severe fighting. 

During a discussion in our tent, I made 
the remark that the Confederate army 
in Virginia would prove very formidable, 
that it would be more difficult to defeat 
than it would be to vanquish the same 
number of British troops, under the existing 
conditions. My opinion was vehemently 
decried, and I was unanimously voted a 
false prophet. This condemnation was 
subsequently revised. 

The Capitol of the Confederacy was in 
Virginia, and every possible effort, it was 
evident, would be made to hold that State. 
Its population was martial, and its terri- 
tory strong in defensive positions. No skill 
in divination was necessary to forecast the 
character of the struggle impending. 

Upon March loth, 1862, we broke camp. 



40 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

to participate in the advance. The 13th 
New York Volunteers from the vicinity of 
Rochester, was added to our brigade, as we 
commenced the movement. The roads were 
muddy and knapsacks became very burden- 
some, and during the day nine tenths of the 
regiment discarded them. Blanket rolls 
were substituted. They were made in the 
following manner : A blanket would be 
spread upon the ground and a piece of a shel- 
ter tent laid on it and also some articles of 
clothing. The whole would then be tightly 
rolled, and the ends of the roll bound to- 
gether by a strap taken from the knapsack. 
This made a roll or "horse collar," that 
could be easily adjusted and shifted from 
shoulder to shoulder, and carried with com- 
partive ease. Colonel Gove did not oppose 
this transformation from knapsack to roll. 
He gave tacit consent, his experience being 
undoubtedly in accord with our action. He 
knew what men could endure and would not 
exact efforts beyond that limit. 

Soldiers did not fight with knapsacks 



\ 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 41 

upon their backs, and if the combat became 
desperate the blanket rolls and even haver- 
sacks would be thrown aside. Troops can- 
not make long marches under heavy loads. 
Knapsacks strain the shoulders excessively 
and impair the vitality of those who carry 
them. We had many slight youths in the 
ranks, who could march very well under 
light burdens. The average age of the rank 
and file was twenty- two years. The young- 
sters were intelligent and intensely patri- 
otic. They recuperated quickly and were 
indomitable in action, and any policy which 
eliminates or disparages this element is ill 
advised. The men of the rank and file who 
were over thirty years of age, though ap- 
parently vigorous, did not as a class with- 
stand the hardships of active campaigns. 
They required full rations and good shelter, 
and could then render excellent service, but 
as these were impossibilities, they rapidly 
succumbed. The boys, as they were called 
in the camps, established, during the forma- 
tive period, proved to be excellent soldiers. 



42 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

To their endurance, intrepidity and devotion, 
the nation is very largely indebted for its 
preservation. The officers who believe that 
troops can be hardened by long marches, 
under heavy loads, should be discharged as 
incompetent. The burdens of the rank and 
file when reduced to lowest practicable limit, 
will average thirty pounds per man. 

We camped beyond Fairfax upon the 
night of the loth, having covered eleven 
miles only, as the delays had been numer- 
ous and the roads difficult. It was ascer- 
tained that the enemy had abandoned Man- 
assas. On the 15th of March, we began to 
move to Alexandria, and halted near the 
Seminary. We embarked on the 20th upon 
a large steamer and anchored near Fortress 
Monroe upon the 23d. The Monitor was 
moored near us, and, as the rebels expressed 
it, looked like a cheese box upon a raft. It 
was on guard ready to again engage the 
Merrimac, should it appear. 

The immense fleet containing the Army 
of the Potomac and its supplies, was secure 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 43 

in Hampton Roads, by virtue of the presence 
of this wonderful fighting invention of 
Ericson. The battle with the Merrimac 
was on the 9th of March, and until May 
loth, the Monitor guarded the fold. Com- 
modore Worden, who commanded the Mon- 
itor, ranks with Farragut. His courage, 
fidelity, sufferings and priceless services, will 
receive the homage of the readers of our 
history. 

We landed at Hampton, and proceeded a 
few miles to Newmarket, and remained 
there until April 4th. The shelter tents, 
that were to be our protection in many 
campaigns, were now fully introduced. They 
were composed of pieces of light canvas, 
six by five and one half feet in dimensions. 
They were prepared with buttons and but- 
ton holes, so as to be fastened readily 
together. Two uprights or sticks with 
crotches would be cut from nearest trees 
or undergrowth, and set six feet or more 
apart. A suitable ridge pole would then 
be placed, and two pieces of the canvas 



44 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

buttoned together and stretched over it, and 
fastened to pegs driven in the ground. A 
third piece would be fastened on the rear, 
and also held firmly by pegs. Ditches 
would be made to intercept water if rain 
was anticipated. If pine or cedar boughs 
were obtainable, a good bed could be had 
for three persons, if desirable. To serve 
that number the space was limited, the cen- 
tre being only four feet high. When our 
stay was extended for a few days, and the 
heat was oppressive, long uprights would 
be used. Bunks would then be made, a 
foot or more from the earth. These tents 
would shed water fairly well. When poles 
were easily found the regiment would be 
under cover in an half hour. 

On April 5th, 1862, we met the enemy 
near Yorktown, after a march of one and 
one half days. They were in a fort in a 
field bordered by woods, and, in the recon- 
noissance made to develop the situation, the 
regiment had one man killed and eight 
wounded. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 45 

We camped on the loth, near Wormsley 
Creek, which empties into the York river. 
The land was level in the vicinity and 
intersected at long intervals by ravines 
abounding in springs. Yorktown is par- 
allel to the river and was a very small 
place in 1862. In its seige by Washington, 
the American lines enveloped all but the 
river front. The enemy in our war had 
extended their defences across the peninsula 
to the James river, a distance of eight 
miles. 

These lines had some heavy guns in 
position, but were guarded at first by only 
eight thousand men. A demonstration 
along the whole front, and vigorous attacks 
at vulnerable points, would have given us 
possession. But there should have been 
only a brief delay in making the assault 
outlined above. 

An elaborate siege was undertaken in 
which the fatigue work was very severe. 
Formidable siege batteries were placed in 
strong embrasures. Every preparation was 



46 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

made for a crushing bombardment, to be 
followed by an assault. The enemy seemed 
aware of the design, and evacuated the 
works held by them on the night of May 
4th. 

The 22d Massachusetts, our regiment, was 
the first to enter the works. Two compan- 
ies were deployed as skirmishers, and were 
300 yards in advance. The remaining por- 
tion of the battalion, followed in column by 
company, ours, "G," was the seventh. 
The six preceding us, passed under a large 
tree, conspicuous for its loneliness, in the 
plain, unharmed. But as we came within 
its shadow, one of our number stepped upon 
a torpedo, it exploded with great force, the 
concussion prostrated nearly one half of the 
right wing of the company. I thought it 
was a shell from Gloucester, across the river. 
We quickly regained our alignment, and 
continued our advance. O. H. P. Sargent 
was mortally wounded ; Charles B. Crane 
and lyuke Ward were severely hurt, and never 
were returned to duty. Comrade Sargent 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 47 

was a very capable man, and had been a 
member of the I^egislature from Essex, 
Mass. He had been in the quartermaster's 
deparment as wagon master, but was re- 
lieved at his own request. He was indiffer- 
ent to rank ; with him, the cause glorified 
all who fought for it. He was an optimist 
and firmly believed that the war would end 
with the capture of Yorktown. He died in 
hospital at Fortress Monroe, May 30, fol- 
lowing. This crime against humanity, it 
is supposed, was committed by order of 
General Raines, despite orders sent to him 
by General Longstreet forbiding it. The 
act was wanton, because the torpedoes 
were in most instances, placed not to pro- 
tect positions whose retention was essential, 
but in locations where wounded men and 
non-combatants were in peril. 

Thursday, May 8th, we embarked for 
West Point, on the York river, thirty miles 
above, and near the mouth of the Pam- 
unkey. We were three hours en route^ 
landing at dusk, and remaining at West 



48 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Point until the i^th. On that date we 
marched to Cumberland, on the Pamunkey, 
a tramp of fifteen miles. Upon May i6th, 
we reached White House Landing. 

The river here was narrow, but deep 
enough for a double ender gunboat, equip- 
ped with a Parrot cannon, carrying a shot 
weighing one hundred pounds. The shells 
fired from one of these guns on a war vessel 
below Yorktown sounded during its long 
flight like an express train. 

The date of our arrival at Gaines Mills, 
was May 26th, and upon the following day 
we were ordered to Hanover Court House. 
The road was eighteen miles in length, and 
about one foot in depth. The mud was of 
the adhesive variety. The Confederates were 
attacked and defeated at about noon. The 
2d Maine was left as rear guard, and we 
pressed on expecting to find the enemy rein- 
forced in a new position. They returned 
screened by the woods, and assailed our 
rear guard after our departure. We were 
ordered to hurry to the rescue, and had 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 49 

about two miles to travel. We passed a 
Connecticut regiment, I believe it was the 
First Heavy Artillery, serving as infantry. 
We could march faster than they, having 
had more practice. One of their field 
officers was old, and his voice quavered as 
he earnestly appealed to his men, and as he 
said; '* Don't fall out in the smoke of 
the battle, '' it would break on the word 
smoke, with singular effect. His venerable 
presence and intense zeal redeemed his de- 
livery from ludicrousness. We found that 
the Confederates had been repulsed by the 
2d Maine infantry and 3d Massachusetts 
Battery. 

The 2d Maine fought in the field and did 
not change its position during the action, 
and delivered a very effective fire. The 
attack was made by eighteen hundred men 
who were without artillery, or the result 
might have been different. 

We returned to our camp May 29th. On 
the 31st, we could hear the prolonged 
roll of musketry at Fair Oaks. It was 

5 



50 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

fraught with tragic meaning, as it indicated 
a struggle between large bodies of men at 
short range. 

It is not generally understood by the 
youth of the present day, that during the 
civil war the infantry of the opposing 
armies was equipped almost universally 
with muzzle-loading muskets or rifles, both 
carrying an ounce Minie ball, hollow at the 
large end, which expanded and followed the 
twisting or rifle groove of the weapon. In 
teaching the manual of arms the order was 
to '^lyoad in nine times, load." At the order 
"Tear cartridge," it was inserted between 
the front teeth and the paper wrapper bit- 
ten, and at the order, "Charge cartridge," 
the powder was emptied into the musket, 
and the ball detached and put into the muz- 
zle, the large or hollow end being down. 
The whole charge was then driven home 
by the ramrod, and at the word "Ready" the 
musket was brought to the right side and a 
percussion cap affixed. In action the order 
was to load at will. It was required that 



I 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 51 

recruits should have teeth firm enough to 
bite or tear the cartridges. If a soldier 
could load and fire twice in a minute he 
was very expert. Many men were shot in 
the right hand and arm while loading in 
action, as the fire of the enemy was usually 
high. 

Artillery fire often is ineffective, because 
woods may be shelled merely as a matter of 
precaution. Duels between batteries may 
make the skies ring, and but comparatively 
few men may be engaged, or exposed, and 
results may be trivial. 

The sustained fire of musketry beyond the 
Chickahominy meant a harvest of death, 
and that something decisive had happened. 
A sanguinary battle had been fought. We 
were at first beaten, but finally held our 
lines. The purpose of the Confederates to 
bitterly contest our efforts to capture Rich- 
mond was now revealed. 

Our campaign assumed a new phase. 
Generals Sumner and Hooker distinguished 
themselves, in this our first great battle of 



52 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

the year in Virginia. General Hooker had 
a noble presence, and his voice and manner 
were commanding. His division, after 
crossing the Chickahominy, awaited orders. 
The general was at the head of the column, 
which was halted upon a slight elevation. 
He received orders to advance and engage 
the enemy. Facing his division, and with 
glowing countenance and appropriate gest- 
ure, he exclaimed in a ringing voice : 

"To the front, gentlemen!" 

A cheer of approval was the response. 
He displayed skill and heedless bravery in 
the battle. 

General B. V, Sumner was an officer of 
great merit. He led his Corps over the 
Chickahominy while the bridges were 
trembling from the shock of a rising flood. 
Pushing to the front he attacked the rebels 
who were flushed with their defeat of Gen- 
eral Casey, and stayed their progress. 

At one stage of the battle, General Sum- 
ner was informed, that the troops holding 
an important position, were exposed to a 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 53 

severe fire, and were without ammunition. 
Permission to withdraw was asked of him. 
He emphatically refused, and riding along 
the line he exhorted, in stentorian tones, 
the troops to charge with the bayonet, when 
the command should be issued. He soon 
gave it, and led himself, the victorious ad- 
vance. His thunderous tones and fierce 
onslaught won him the sobriquet of ' ' Bull 
Sumner.'* He was, nevertheless, a very 
kind and considerate gentleman. 

An enlisted man named Floyd, of our 
company, was an excellent scribe, and had 
been transferred to General Sumner's head- 
quarters for clerical work. He told us that 
one of his associates was a very competent 
office man, and the general esteemed him 
highly. But love of liquor was his bane, and 
after a prolonged spree he reported for duty. 
The general sent for him, and expressed 
his regret, that a gentleman and scholar 
should so degrade himself ; also adding a 
tribute to his efficiency. The delinquent 
replied, affirming his appreciation of the 



54 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

compliment, and of the consideration shown 
him. He also said that if the govern- 
ment expected to obtain the service of 
men with the qualifications enumerated by 
the general, and the cardinal virtues in ad- 
dition, for thirteen dollars per month, it 
would be disappointed. General Sumner 
admitted the force of the observation, and, 
after giving the clerk some advice, put him 
on duty again at his desk. 

Sickness now prevailed ; it was caused by 
malaria from the swamps. We changed 
our camp to better ground, moving towards 
Mechanicsville. 

The aggressive movement of General Lee 
commenced on June 26th. We were ordered 
to march to our extreme right, near Beaver 
Dam Creek and Mechanicsville. The Con 
federates assailed the Pennsylvania Re- 
serves, who were strongly posted at the 
creek, and were repulsed with the loss of 
over three thousand men. This attack was 
unwise, as the movement in progress of the 
Corps of Stonewall Jackson flanked the 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 



55 



position, making it untenable, but Jefferson 
Davis was present, and the desire to win a 
brilliant victory under his observation con- 
trolled. 

At six P. M., we advanced into a large 
field, in column by company. A solid shot 
from a rebel battery killed one man in the 
company preceding us, and two men in our 
company. They were James Millen and 
Samuel Benjamin. The regiment then 
obliqued to the right and halted where it 
was partially sheltered by woods. I hast- 
ened to the poor fellows. They must have 
been, as I afterwards concluded, instantly 
killed. General Thomas Sherwin, then ist 
Lieutenant and Adjutant, joined me, and ex- 
amined them. It was plain that they were 
beyond our aid. Both were very worthy 



men. 



During the forenoon of the following day, 
June 27th, 1862, the Pennsylvania Reserves 
held the enemy in check at Beaver Dam 
Creek. We abandoned our camps at Curtis's 
Farm, and destroyed all supplies for which 



56 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

we lacked transportation. The 5th Corps, 
which included the divisions of Morell and 
Sykes and the Pennsylvania Reserve was 
placed in position to deliver a defensive 
battle near Gaines Mills. Eleven bat- 
teries of artillery were attached to the 
corps ; they had over sixty guns. 

Our brigade was formed in two lines, 
our regiment being in the second of these. 
The 13th New York was in our immediate 
front, about seventy-five yards distant, at 
the foot of the wooded declivity. The 
descent was at least thirty feet. 

A line of artillery was in reserve, four 
hundred yards in our rear, in a field upon a 
slight elevation, the space between it and 
our infantry in the second line being un- 
obstructed. Several batteries were inter- 
spersed with our infantry. Trees were 
felled by the infantry, and breastworks 
about four feet high constructed. 

I went down to the 13th New York several 
times and noted that a small field bordered 
by woods beyond was in their front. In 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 57 

other respects the position was poor ; they 
were, however, very cheerful and confi- 
dent. 

The enemy at 3 P. M., came on in dense 
lines to the attack. The artillery in our 
line and the infantry in the first line opened 
a furious fire upon them for ten minutes at 
least, before they retreated. Three distinct 
charges were repelled with great havoc. 
After the third repulse the 13th New York 
Volunteers withdrew to replenish their 
ammunition. As they passed us, greetings 
and congratulations were exchanged. We 
considered the victory assured for us, but 
the Confederates strengthened their attack- 
ing force, and again advanced. Their num- 
bers were overwhelming, and their impetu- 
osity unabated. 

We awaited them with confidence, and 
delivered a crushing artillery and musketry 
fire. I stood beside W. H. Nowell, a pri- 
vate. We fired rapidly looking only to the 
front. 

The rebels were within fifty feet of us in 



58 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

the direction that we were aiming, when 
Nowell was struck in the face. The con- 
cussion sounded like a blow given by an 
open hand. I turned to the left saying that 
Nowell was killed, and saw that the line 
was broken beyond our regiment. The 
enemy were flanking us, and getting in our 
rear. I ran the gauntlet with the fleetness 
of a deer, shunning the crowd that followed 
a natural depression or roadway. 

We rallied on the reserve artillery, which 
sustained by the batteries that had escaped 
from the defeated line, began a tempestuous 
cannonade upon the Confederates, as they 
emerged from the woods. The wave of 
gray was fringed with the blue and red of 
the defenders of the Union. 

It was imperative that the tide should be 
stayed, but it was harrowing to behold our 
comrades stricken down by our own artillery. 

The 22d had been reduced in numbers by 
sickness and other causes, and did not take 
into this battle, more than six hundred and 
fifty officers and men. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 59 

Colonel Jesse A. Gove was killed, as were 
seventy others. Fifty-five were wounded 
and captured, thirty-one were struck and 
escaped, and one hundred and twenty-two 
were taken prisoners unhurt. These losses 
occurred within ten minutes after our flanks 
were turned. Company A had fifteen men 
killed. 

The reserve line in the field was firmly 
held, and during the night we returned over 
the Chickahominy and its swamps, saddened 
but not demoralized by our losses. 

The Confederate records show that Gen- 
eral lyce left a skirmish line, before the left 
wing of our army, which was separated from 
the right, under General Fitz John Porter, 
by the Chickahominy. Seventy-five thous- 
and troops were concentrated to crush us. 
General McClellan, with over sixty thousand 
men, was passive. He could have taken 
Richmond or given us adequate support. 
He was loyal but infirm in purpose and 
inclined to magnify the numbers of the 
enemy. 



60 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

In January, 1865, 1 visited the army before 
Petersburg, Va., having been mustered out 
with my regiment October 17, 1864. I 
called upon General Charles Griffin, in com- 
mand of the I St Division of the 5th Corps. 
I had been acting as Asst. Adjt. Gen. of his 2d 
Brigade, and he knew me well and was very 
cordial. He referred to the campaigns of 
the past, and much to my surprise, dis- 
cussed freely the Battle of Gaines Mills, in 
which he commanded a brigade, formerly 
MorelPs. He was an artillerist, unsur- 
passed in courage and skill. He said 
that our lines were poorly chosen, and 
that a defensive action should be planned 
so as to utilize artillery fully, and that 
the Confederates did not come in range of 
our batteries until within two hundred 
yards, and were then partially screened by 
the woods. He gave it as his opinion, that 
our line should have been established where 
our reserve artillery was placed, and every 
gun should have been in position there. 
The assailants would then have been sub- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 61 

jected to a wasting fire of grape and canister 
that with the infantry support would have 
beaten them. 

The command of the regiment devolved 
upon Capt. Daivd K. Wardwell, Lt. -Colonel 
Griswold, an excellent officer, being absent 
sick, and Major W. S. Tilton wounded and 
a prisoner. Capt. Wardwell served in the 
war with Mexico, and was in command of a 
company in the 5th Massachusetts Volun- 
teer Militia, in the three months or Bull 
R.un campaign. He was a very brave and 
competent officer, and was very vigilant in 
his attention to the care of his men. He 
saw that every requirement of the law in 
their favor was fulfilled if possible. 

He distinguished himself at this critical 
period. A brief halt was made at Savage 
Station and we bivouacked at night beyond 
White Oak Swamp. An alarm shortly 
after midnight created a brief panic among 
some of our best men, who were very much 
humiliated when it was over. The imagi- 
nation has almost complete control over a 



62 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

portion even of the phlegmatic, when only 
partially wakened. Upon the 29th, we 
arrived at Charles City Cross Roads. The 
army had marched with great steadiness 
and responded to every demand upon it by 
its leaders. 

Discussions regarding the general move- 
ment were of course rife. One element 
thought that profound strategy was exem- 
plified by our "change of base," as they 
called it. Another class was dissatisfied, 
claiming that we should not have been 
beaten in detail, and that General McClellan 
should have put the whole army on the 
firing line at the same time, and that he 
had been outgeneraled. 

Corporal John Gaffney, of our company, 
whose intelligence gave him weight among 
us, was appealed to for his opinion after a 
heated debate, to which he had calmly 
listened. In response, he said that he 
believed we were going to the James river 
to protect the gunboats. This sally made 
the rounds of the press. We were solicit- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 63 

ous regarding the effect at home of our 
struggle, and believed that censure would 
not fall upon the behaviour of the army. 
It was realized that the ability of our com- 
mander would be challenged. 



CHAPTER III. 

Malvern Hill. — Immense trains. — Union Artillery fire. 
— Thrilling experience. — Wentworth's death. — Gen. 
Charles Griffin. — " Fetch on your infantry." — Confed- 
erate charge. — G. H. Ladd killed. — Gallant 62d Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers. — "Will get even right now." — 
Dan Harrington. — Harrison's Landing. — Night bom- 
bardment. — Down the Peninsula. — Aquia Creek. — 
March at night. — Warrenton Junction. — Porter on 
August 29th. — Armed Neutrality. — Scenes August 
30th. — Kearney. — Pope. — Washington. — Company E. 
— Wright. — Wenzel. — McClellan in command. — The 
ii8th Pennsylvania. — Heavy knapsacks. — Rations 
described. — Coffee boilers. — Frederick, Md. — South 
Mountain. — Antietam. — Burnside's bridge. — Recon- 
noissance across the Potomac. — Daddy Mulhern. — 
"Show me the man I shall shoot." — Heroism of 
Capt. Field. 

We passed over Malvern Hill, June 3otli, 
1862, and descended about one hundred feet 
to an immense plain. We were permitted 
to rest for several hours. It seemed as 
though we would not soon be called upon 
to meet the foe. 

The trains of the army, were moving 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 65 

down every available road to Harrison's 
Landing. There were with us over four 
thousand six-mule wagons, loaded with 
military supplies of all kinds. Their value 
was estimated at fifty million dollars. This 
equipment had been parked upon the Mal- 
vern plateau. 

It inspired the needy Confederates to des- 
perate efforts for its capture. At 5 p. m., 
we took arms and retraced our way to the 
hill. We had great difficulty in avoiding 
the teams, that were being furiously driven 
down the steep road. When the summit 
was attained, we formed in column by com- 
pany, and moved in quick time towards 
Glendale. 

The Confederates were attacking our rear 
guard. It was a memorable scene. The 
trains and non-combatants hastening to the 
river, and the indomitable battalions and 
batteries of the 5th Corps, depleted in num- 
bers, advancing with eagerness to offer 
battle. 

We mustered only three hundred men in 

6 



66 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

the 22d Massachusetts, but they were un- 
daunted and hopeful. Sergeant J. H. Bax- 
ter commanded our company, I was next in 
rank. Our captain was captured at Gaines 
Mills ; we had no ist Lieutenant ; the re- 
maining commissioned officer was absent. 

Sergeant Baxter was the natural leader 
of the company. The corps formed line at 
Glendale, which was two miles from Mal- 
vern. The enemy deferred its attack, — our 
demonstration dictated circumspection as 
the wisest policy of their leaders. 

Immense fires were kindled three hundred 
yards in our front, so that the enemy could 
not advance past them without coming in 
full view. They would then have been 
exposed to a destructive fire from us. 

On the morning of the following day, 
(July I, 1862), we were withdrawn to the 
defensive position, near Malvern Hill, and 
rations were issued. 

Early in the afternoon we moved forward 
for a short space, and formed in a column of 
five companies at half wheeling distance* 



MUSKET AND SWORD. ()7 

We lay down, covering a very small area. 
Our position was fifty feet in advance of 
a large tree. There was a slight ascent in 
the field in our front, for three hundred 
yards. 

Then as we afterwards discerned, the 
descent to a great field was rapid. It was 
skirted by woods, in which the rebel infant- 
ry was disposed. Artillery had been placed 
at the foot of the hill where its shots in 
their whole flight would not be over five 
feet from the earth. 

The enemy had a battery with which they 
were endeavoring to reach us, and must have 
had the tree for a landmark. The situation 
was made very trying for us. We lost fifty 
men from our small battalion during the 
day. One half of them were injured while 
we were under this ordeal. Where one ball 
or fragment of a shell would find a victim, 
twenty of the diabolical things would barely 
miss some of his comrades. Shell wounds 
are ghastly, cruel to the injured, and demor- 
alizing to beholders, especially to those who 



QS MUSKET AND SWORD. 

are in the line of promotion by that method 
to another world. 

I saw a cannon ball, nearly spent in its 
flight, approaching. It seemed as though 
it was looking for me, and drawn towards 
me as if by a magnet. I flattened as close 
to the ground as possible, and awaited my 
fate. It slipped over me and killed Ben- 
ning Went worth of Company B, who was 
lying at my feet. Lieut. Field in command 
of that company moved and brushed some 
dust from his clothing. I asked if he was 
injured ; he said he was not, but that Went- 
worth was dead. That was easily perceived. 
His exit was painless unless he had seen the 
ball coming and suffered in anticipation. 
This incident sends a thrill along my nerves 
even now when recalled. 

The patient endurance of effective artillery 
fire, while remaining passive, is the supreme 
test of the fortitude of soldiers. 

General Charles Grifiin, in addition to the 
command of an infantry brigade, seemed to 
have charge of the artillery of the 5th 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 69 

Corps, in our front. He was very active, 
passing continually from the infantry to the 
batteries. He had a horse shot under him, 
but mounted that of his orderly, and con- 
tinued his rounds. About 5 p. m. he came 
over the crest, and beckoned to General Mar- 
tindale. He said in his characteristic shrill 
tone : " Fetch on you infantry, general." 

The Confederates were swarming with 
frantic energy to the assault. We deployed 
in line of battle in an instant. The order 
to advance was more than welcome to all. 
We wished to fight like men and accomplish 
something with muskets at close range and 
not to be slaughtered like cattle in the 
shambles, as we had been for nearly three 
hours. We went on in perfect alignment, 
and soon reached the guns. We were in 
support of a battery of howitzers. The 
officer in charge was nervous, and said that 
as his horses were to the rear he feared that 
his pieces would be lost. He gave some 
orders to us, which act was a breach of mil- 
itary courtesy. 



70 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Lieutenant F. K. Field reproved him 
sharply, telling him not to interfere, and 
added that the infantry line was there to 
stay and win. We lay down thirty yards 
in rear of the 62d Pennsylvania, which was 
in line with the battery and in touch 
with its left. The field where we were 
placed had been some previous year pre- 
pared for wheat. It was in beds or ridges 
six feet wide. The ditches or hollows were 
eighteen inches below the crowns of the 
beds. The men in two ranks occupied one 
of the depressions. The file closers, com- 
missioned oflScers and sergeants, did not 
withdraw to the hollow of the next ridge but 
remained upon its summit. My head rested 
upon a foot of George H. Ladd. I soon 
heard him groan, and rising up saw that he 
had been hit near the shoulder and was 
insensible. I took hold of his ankles and 
tried to pull him lengthwise in the ditch, 
where he would be less exposed ; my strength 
was insufficient. His chum, Dan Harrington, 
whom I knew to be generally cold blooded. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 71 

said, ' ' I will help you, ' ' and we removed him 
a few feet, to what must have been his last 
resting place unless the enemy buried him 
elsewhere. 

I now concluded that my turn would not 
come that day, and sat up and watched the 
struggle. 

The Confederates attacked in several lines, 
moving from the woods, nine hundred yards 
distant. Our batteries were served with 
tireless energy. Every discharge would cut 
gaps in the ranks of the infuriated enemy, 
but still they rushed on meeting the deadly 
rain of bullets from our infantry, and yelling 
like fiends. 

It remained for the infantry to turn the 
tide, and aid in inflicting a crushing defeat 
upon our reckless adversaries. 

The 62d Pennsylvania fought grandly, I 
saw their colors drop several times, but 
before they could touch the ground they 
would be grasped, and again waved in defi- 
ance. They must have lost one thiid of 
their number without yielding an inch. 



72 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

The wounded who were able, would re- 
treat to our line, and feeling reassured would 
halt. Greetings would be exchanged and 
their remaining cartridges given to us. One 
stalwart private hurried to us, using his 
musket as a staff. He examined his wound 
which was in the calf of his leg, and quite 
severe. He said, "It is not so bad as I 
thought, I will get even right now." He 
hobbled back to his regiment, accompanied 
by the applause of our men. 

The 62d Pennsylvania having practically 
exhausted its ammunition, faced to the left, 
and filed to the rear. We moved forward 
and took their place, and dressed our line 
and commenced firing, using sixty rounds 
each at least. Dan Harrington was tall, 
and quite robust, a typical farm laborer of 
the uneducated class. He was in the front 
rank, and perfectly self possessed, and gave 
his comrades shrewd and pithy advice, and 
was in fact a leader in the fight. I congrat- 
ulated him a few days later upon his con- 
duct. He did not respond to my patriotic 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 73 

fervor, but remarked placidly that ''Our 
only show was to stay with those fellows 
and whip them." 

The Confederates were repulsed at every 
point. The force of their onslaught was 
declining when we relieved the 62d Penn- 
sylvania. We expended all our ammuni- 
tion, and the ordnance train was on the way 
to the rear, but the enemy brought forward 
no reserves. We gathered wheat straw from 
our front, and endeavored to sleep. The 
groans of the wounded arose like a chorus. 
Occasionally a howitzer would be dis- 
charged, and the flash would penetrate the 
gloom almost to the woods. Men from the 
ambulance corps, aided by volunteers were 
searching by the light of lanterns for 
wounded friends and comrades. But the 
great mass of the unfortunate were not 
relieved that night. 

We were roused about i a. m., and 
began our march to Harrison's Landing. 
The rain soon became heavy, making the 
route tedious, but we plodded on, and 



74 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

reached our destination at lo a. m., July 2. 

We were soon camped and quite comfort- 
able, and began to recuperate from the 
fatigue of the campaign. But the heat and 
the lack of good drinking water impaired 
the health of many. The sick list increased 
rapidly. The Richmond papers said that 
our location was the hottest place in North 
America. 

The President visited the army, and it 
was supposed that important events would 
follow. I no not recall seeing him at any 
review at this period. 

The 5th Corps was reviewed and the effect 
was excellent. The infantry battalions 
were small but the bearing of the men was 
spirited. The artillery was numerous and 
well equipped. It was difficult to believe 
that we had been defeated or that it could 
be done again. 

Our camps were commanded by heights 
on the opposite bank of the James. The 
enemy during a July night were enterpris- 
ing enough to salute us with shot and sheP 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 75 

from a light battery placed there. The 
effect was enlivening. It was fully half an 
hour before the Connecticut Heavy Artillery 
returned and silenced the fire of the rebels. 
The damage done was immaterial. The 
gunboats were not in evidence which was a 
surprise to us. 

The military situation in Virginia was 
the topic of absorbing interest while we 
were at Harrison's Landing. A marked 
division of opinion relative to General 
McClellan existed, but it did not degenerate 
into a bitter controversy. The interests of 
the country were paramount. The personal 
success of any individual was as dust in the 
balance in comparison. The selection of 
General Pope for the command of the active 
Union force in Northern Virginia was 
regarded as impolitic. His record though 
very good did not warrant the preference 
shown him. He certainly did not then 
excel Sumner, Kearney, Hooker or Sedg- 
wick in the estimation of the army. The 
fact that they were ignored was considered 



76 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

a reflection upon the Army of the Potomac. 
This sentiment was intensified by an unfor- 
tunate General Order, issued by General 
Pope, for which he claims he was not re- 
sponsible. It was very offensive by impli- 
cation, and the belief obtained among us 
that it was a covert reflection upon our 
army. 

Hooker and Kearney were known to be 
very free in their comments upon McClellan. 
General Hooker advised a forward move by 
our left wing upon Richmond while the 
battle of Gaines Mills was in progress. 
General Sumner was very reticent in his 
expressions, but was supposed to consider 
General McClellan too cautious. 

Generals Meade and Hancock had not yet 
developed great reputations, although either 
was fit to command a large army. General 
Fitz John Porter was a staunch partisan 
of McClellan, and all the influence which 
emanated from him was hostile to General 
Pope. 

Upon August 14th, 1862, we bade farewell 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 77 

to Harrison's Landing, and in light march- 
ing order commenced an arduous campaign. 
We were not warned that water was scarce 
along the route, it being without running 
streams. The troops did not economize the 
supply in their canteens, and were soon in 
distress. The road was sandy, and the heat 
intense. Wells were infrequent and practi- 
cally inaccessible to ninety-five per cent, of 
the thirsty. After covering twenty-five 
miles we crossed the Chickahominy near the 
James River. The pontoon bridge used was 
at least two thousand feet long. 

After halting one day, we resumed our 
march and passed through Williamsburg, 
which we found a quaint old town with a re- 
fined population. Upon the 17th we camped 
near our former location at Yorktown. 

On our way to Hampton on the i8th we 
passed many corn fields and the roasting ears 
were appropriated by the column. The 
battalions in the rear had scant gleaning 
after their comrades in the advance had 
been supplied. 



78 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

We embarked on the 20th upon tlie 
steamer North America. On the 21st we 
landed at Aquia Creek, and were transferred 
by rail to Falmouth, opposite Fredericks- 
burg, Va. The regiment was now led by 
Colonel Charles E. Griswold, who had been 
promoted to the vacancy caused by the 
death of the lamented Colonel Gove. W. 
S. Tilton was I^ieut. -Colonel and Thomas 
Sherwin, Major. The last promotion cre- 
ated some friction among the commissioned 
officers as Major Sherwin 's former rank was 
that of I St Lieutenant and Adjutant. The 
rank and file were gratified however, as he 
had been very efficient and his courtesy 
and consideration had been unfailing. He 
was very cool and intrepid ; was severely 
wounded at Gaines Mills but not captured. 

The adjutant of a regiment has greater 
responsibility than a captain in an active 
campaign, and when he fills all the require- 
ments of the position for a long period, as 
did Lieutenant Sherwin, should have pre- 
cedence in promotion over captains. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 7 9 

Upon August 22d, 1862, we started from 
Falmoutti and were urged on without mercy 
all night. Colonel Roberts of the 2d Maine 
commanded the brigade. He rode a white 
horse, and was unceasing in his efforts to 
encourage the men to keep up. Towards 
morning an uncomplimentary remark which 
he heard, was made concerning him, by a 
tired soldier. He stopped and disclaimed 
responsibility saying that he was simply 
obeying orders. Colonel Roberts was not 
an officer who would rest quiet under an 
affront, or take a defensive position, unless 
his higher sense of the justice of the com- 
plaint constrained him to do so. 

We halted on the 24th, not far from Kel- 
ly's Ford, and on the three succeeding days 
the demands upon us were moderate. War- 
renton Junction was reached at 4 p. m., 
August 27th. The division of General 
Sykes had halted there at 11 A. m. 

We first learned here of Stonewall Jack- 
son's raid in our rear, and were astonished 
and exasperated by the intelligence. 



80 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

August 28th our column moved at 6 A. m., 
but did not reach Bristow nine miles distant 
until after 10 A. M. The road was excel- 
lent, and was soon very dry. It led 
through on open country. General Meade 
retreated over the same ground the following 
year with troops and trains parallel to each 
other without difficulty. The statement 
that we could not have marched during the 
preceding night is not true. We bivouacked 
at Bristow. General Hooker had defeated a 
force of the enemy there the day before. 

We passed Manassas Junction four miles 
further on at 10 a. m., August 29th, 1862. 
The destruction of the railroad trains and 
army rations there by Jackson was astound- 
ing. The column was directed to the left 
and on the Gainesville road. In an hour 
we halted and loaded ; we expected to 
attack the enemy at once. General Mc- 
Dowell and staff rode by ; he looked very 
well, and was resolute and energetic in his 
bearing. 

We soon advanced at about noon and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 81 

occupied a commanding ridge, whicli was 
partly covered by small trees or scrub tim- 
ber. A cannon ball from a six pounder 
killed one or two men in the ist Michigan 
Volunteers, which was on the left of our 
battalion. One of our batteries replied with 
a few rounds. 

There was a road in the valley in our 
front a thousand yards distant. Clouds of 
dust ascended from it, apparently caused by 
the movement of troops. No further action 
was offensively taken by us that day. Gen- 
eral Porter could not have known at the 
time what force was before him as the 
country was undulating and screened by 
woods and bushes. He made no determined 
attempt to find out. His policy evidently 
was that of armed neutrality. A tremen- 
dous battle was raging upon our right. It 
could only be won by fighting. The enemy 
was always ready in those days to accom- 
modate us when we were looking for battle. 
General McDowell had no difficulty in find- 
ing and engaging them. 

7 



82 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

If for instance General Hancock had been 
in Porter's place, he certainly would have 
made an impetuous and effective assault. 
The rank and file were eager to advance. 
We had beaten the Confederates at Malvern 
Hill and seemed to have the advantage in 
position. 

I believe that Porter deliberately betrayed 
General Pope. I am in this opinion in 
accord w^ith all whom I have met of the 
9th, i8th, 22d and 32d Massachusetts Vol- 
unteers who were on duty under him at the 
front in the campaign under discussion. 

We were on picket during the night, and 
towards morning could hear the noises made 
by the Confederates in harnessing the 
animals of a wagon train. There was some 
delay in withdrawing us, Major Burt was 
determined to have every man notified, so 
that none might be abandoned. When all 
were assembled, it was discovered that our 
brigade had disappeared. General Morell, 
commander of the division which was com- 
posed of three brigades, was with Griffin's 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 83 

Brigade, and ordered Colonel Griswold to 
join it. 

We took the Centreville road, arriving 
there at noon. The roar of a mighty battle 
near Bull Run could be heard. The 5th 
Corps with the exception of Grifhn's Brig- 
ade and our regiment, was fiercely engaged 
and suffered severely. 

We, with other troops available, were 
ordered to the front, and advancing three 
miles met the defeated columns march- 
ing sullenly towards us. Very many 
were wounded and supported by their 
comrades. 

We advanced a mile further and found 
there was no pursuit, and that our artillery 
was practically intact, and retraced our 
steps. 

We remained for two days at Centreville. 
A great many wounded were brought in 
under flags of truce. The lines of the 
Confederates were quite near. 

I recollect the tattoo and taps as given at 
this time by the bugler of the 2d Maine. 



84 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

His notes were awaited by tHe thousands 
massed near us, and were so exultant and 
defiant that they would evoke cheers from 
every quarter. 

General Kearney was killed September 
ist, at Chantilly. His loss was deeply 
mourned by the whole army. He com- 
bined dauntless courage with rare ability 
and cool judgment. If he had been spared 
it was very probable that the command of 
the Army of the Potomac would have fallen 
upon him, in preference to Burnside or 
Hooker. 

Wednesday, September 3d, 1862, found us 
near our old quarters on Hall's Hill. 

General John Pope, will receive, I believe, 
in the future, credit for zeal and ability; he 
displayed high moral and physical courage in 
the difficult positions forced upon him by the 
government. Had he been faithfully sup- 
ported success might have crowned our 
arms under his guidance. General McClel- 
lan is on record as having written to General 
Porter to support General Pope cordially. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 85 

Many commissions were received September 
5th, at headquarters of the regiment. I 
was surprised to be the recipient at so early 
a date of a commission as second lieutenant, 
and was exceedingly gratified to learn that 
Sergeant J. H. Baxter had also been hon- 
ored. I was assigned to the command of 
Company E, a Roxbury organization of 
which General Nelson A. Miles was the 
original first lieutenant. The company at 
this time was small in numbers but of 
excellent material. The orderly sergeant, 
James Wright, was of fine presence, six feet 
in height and alert in his bearing. His 
education was fair only, but he was a deep 
thinker and his views upon the military 
situation I found to be sound and practical. 
His courage and fidelity were of a very high 
order. I appointed J. W. Kenfield and 
Daniel Morrissey sergeants, both of whom 
had fully won that recognition. Sergeant 
Philip Wenzel was unique in many respects. 
He was exceedingly courteous and obliging, 
especially to subordinates, but his courage 



S6 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

and firmness on duty were remarkable. He 
was both loved and respected by those under 
his control. 

Upon September 12th, we passed through 
Washington on our way to meet General 
Lee. Our reception by the people was not 
enthusiastic. They were accustomed to 
more showy displays than that presented by 
the worn battalions of the Army of the 
Potomac. General McClellan was given 
command. It was the best that could be 
done at the time. His capacity as an organ- 
izer was great and he stood well with the 
army. In the opinion of a large portion of 
it, he was amenable to criticism. But 
many of the strictures upon him were so 
unjust, that the sympathy even of this 
element was given him largely. The 
question was who could do better under 
existing conditions ? 

We moved out on the Rockville Pike and 
bivouacked, having tramped in the dust and 
excessive heat twelve miles. 

We were joined in Washington by the 



MUSKKT AND SWORD. 87 

ii8th Pennsylvania Volunteers. In addition 
to this new organization the 2d Maine, ist 
Michigan, 18th Massachusetts, 22d Massa- 
chusetts, 13th and 25th New York, consti- 
tuted the 1st Brigade, ist Division, 5th 
Corps. The 11 8th Pennsylvania Volunteers 
was raised by the Philadelphia Corn Ex- 
change. The rank and file were brave and 
patriotic. They were remarkably simple 
hearted and confiding, relying implicitly 
upon their officers. These unfortunately 
were not as a class experienced or practical. 
They fully appreciated their honors and 
privileges but were unequal to the responsi- 
bilities. 

The enlisted men were furnished with 
large knapsacks with the legend, "ii8th 
Penn. Vols." inscribed thereon in large 
characters. These knapsacks were filled 
with clothing and sundries. The rays 
of the sun were almost overpowering, and 
the poor fellows toiled on, often stagger- 
ing under their burdens. Our advice to 
throw away superfluous luggage and adopt 



88 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

the roll or collar previously described, 
they seemed to regard us savoring of 
treason. 

We were indeed in light marching order ; 
were thin in flesh but hardy, and with loads 
scientifically reduced. I do not suppose 
there was a spare shirt in my company, 
and yet the men were trim and tidy. New 
clothing had been drawn. One man would 
carry soap, his chum a towel ; brush and 
blacking, would be provided on the same 
principle with a larger group of partners as 
a basis. 

The ii8th Pennsylvania Volunteers and 
other new organations were gradually obliged, 
by fatigue, to discard superfluous clothing, 
and often blankets and overcoats would meet 
the same fate. The veterans would frequent- 
ly leave their blankets and shelter tents at 
bivouacs, when the new troops were to lead, 
and as the heat became intolerable for our 
unsophisticated comrades in the afternoon, 
they would part with blankets, shelter tents 
and overcoats. The veterans would then 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 89 

gather what they needed for the coming 
night. Overcoats were not carried by old 
soldiers until cold weather set in. 

Company officers on active campaigns 
seldom saw their baggage. A servant 
might carry food but not shelter. So these 
leaders were generally burdened with the 
blanket roll and a canteen of water. Upon 
long or fatiguing marches it was their duty 
to encourage the weak, and they often took 
the muskets of the sick or tired men to help 
them keep up. Commissioned officers were 
not furnished rations, but could buy them 
from the commissary at their cost to the 
government. 

The rations furnished the enlisted men in 
camp were ample. They consisted daily 
per man of one pound salt meat or one and 
one- fourth pounds fresh meat, one and three- 
fifths ounces coffee, two and two-fifths ounces 
sugar, one pound hard bread or twenty-two 
ounces soft bread, and rice, beans and pota- 
toes three times per week, each sufficient for 
a meal; salt was also furnished. Beans were 



90 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

baked remarkably well in covered trenches. 
They were first parboiled and then camp 
kettles were covered with hot coals. Upon 
prolonged campaigns meat, hard bread, sugar 
and coffee, also salt, were the only articles 
issued. Camp kettles were with the trains, 
and not accessible, and every man would 
cook for himself. Coffee was a great solace, 
the allowance would make three or four pint 
cups, black and very strong, a day. At every 
halt of a half hour or more the cups would 
be on fires that were quickly made. The 
cavalry and artillery called the infantry 
coffee boilers. Salt pork would frequently 
be eaten raw with hard bread. Herds of cat- 
tle were often driven with the supply trains, 
and fresh meat furnished when practicable. 
It was not particularly juicy. The troops 
generally would start upon a campaign with 
from three to five days' supply of hard 
bread, sugar and salt, and were always 
hungry. There would usually be a skillet 
or frying pan for every group of fifteen to 
twenty men. When camp kettles were not 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 91 

at hand meat could not be cooked economi- 
cally. It was found advisable during these 
periods to have a sergeant divide it un- 
cooked. In the Wilderness, and campaigns 
following in 1864, camp kettles were for six 
weeks a reminiscence with the troops, on the 
firing line. 

The men were patient ; a grumbler was 
chaffed unmercifully. Our struggle was so 
strenuous and the issues so transcendent, 
that minor matters were lightly considered. 

Clothing, shoes and caps were furnished 
the enlisted men at very reasonable rates. 
The allowance was forty-two dollars per 
annum, and any excess over that sum was 
supposed to be deducted from the monthly 
pay at the end of the year. 

Upon September 15th, we passed through 
Frederick, a beautiful city, " Green walled 
by the hills of Maryland." The popula- 
tion was very friendly towards us. This 
together with the charms of the valley of 
the Monocacy, blessed by nature and dili- 
gently improved by man, delighted the army. 



92 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

We climbed the South Mountain on the 
i6th, our route was on the old National 
road built by the government early in the 
century. We halted occasionally to behold 
the lovely valley in our rear. We came to 
a very stong position from which the enemy 
had been dislodged on the 14th. The assault 
was so impetuous that many Confederates 
were killed behind a stone wall before they 
could rise. 

The temper of the army was admirable. 
At the little councils of war around our 
camp fires, the conclusion was reached that 
we were destined to defeat Lee decisively. 
We had many among us who would march 
all day, and after partaking of their coffee 
and bread would debate the situation and 
discuss previous campaigns, until silenced 
by others who wished to sleep. 

During the morning of the 17th, a very 
heavy connonade was commenced by our 
batteries for which the situation was very 
favorable. Our positions dominated very 
decidedly, and shelter for caissons and re- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 93 

serve batteries was contiguous and ample. 
The infantry was placed in the rear of the 
artillery, as the rebels were not within 
musketry range. We would advance occa- 
sionally to the crest and in line with the can- 
non to behold the tragic panorama out-spread 
before us. We could see our lines pressing 
on, generally with success, but diminishing 
under a wasting fire. I saw a body of 
cavalry charge boldly upon our enemies and 
retreat with severe loss. It was supposed 
to be an attack upon infantry, which was 
very imprudent, as that arm can defeat 
cavalry under modern conditions unless it 
has first been shaken by artillery fire, or 
broken by charges of opposing foot soldiers. 
With the afternoon of the i8th, there 
came orders for us to assist General Burn- 
side on the extreme left. We crossed the 
Antietam bridge and creek where a desper- 
ate battle had taken place the day before. 
Burnside had withdrawn all of his men from 
the position beyond the stream except his 
picket line. It seemed a very weak thing 



94 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

for him to do. The 22d was ordered to 
relieve the skirmish line. We proceeded 
five hundred yards up a narrow valley and 
then deployed as skirmishers, the men 
taking distance or proper space as they ran 
to the right up the hill and towards a barn. 
The enemy who were in a house to the 
front fired upon us. They had the range 
but we were too elusive for them. The 
45th Pennsylvania Volunteers furnished the 
skirmishers that we relieved. They were 
partially protected where my company went 
on duty behind a fence, which formed part 
of an enclosure containing a very large 
barn and a yard for cattle. The rebels 
were similarly placed being shielded by the 
fence on opposite side of the enclosure forty 
yards away. The risk was so dangerous 
that the wounded could not be removed 
until dark. One man who was wounded in 
an ankle, was at the proper time, placed 
upon the back of a stalwart friend, who I 
was informed carried him to the creek with- 
out changing his position. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 95 

At midnight a company of our cavalry 
dashed up the valley and had a sharp 
skirmish with the Confederates. They 
found them in force and very lively. Early 
in the morning we ventured to climb the 
fence which was five feet high. Entering 
the barn we saw stretched upon the floor 
calm in death a Union soldier. A tin can 
containing some hospital delicacy was beside 
him. It was apparent that Burnside's lines 
had been beyond these premises which 
had been used as a temporary hospital. 
Throughout the night we could hear the 
rumble of Lee's wagon trains. We felt 
confident that he had retreated. That fact 
was soon manifest. 

We joined the brigade, and with the corps 
passed through Sharpsburg. The reception 
by the inhabitants was very cheering. 

We advanced in solid lines prepared for 
battle, but were a day too late. Our col- 
umns halted and selected camping sites in 
the vicinity of the river. A detail from two 
brigades which included our sharpshooters, 



96 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

crossed the Potomac. General Griffin was 
in charge, and it captured with but slight 
resistance, four cannons. One of these 
guns had belonged to the battery under 
General Griffin as captain, at the first Bull 
Run battle, where it was captured by the 
Confederates. 

Upon the following day, September 20th, 
preparations were made very carefully for a 
reconnoissance in force beyond the Potomac. 
Not much fighting was anticipated, but the 
temptation to catch us at disadvantage with 
a river to our rear, we knew to be almost 
irresistable to our wily antagonists. The 
bluffs on both banks of the Potomac at this 
point were seventy-five feet high. On the 
table land opposite us was an open plain 
forming a field extending to woods one 
thousand yards from the crest of the bluffs 
at the river. The Maryland bank had no 
plain near it. Its approaches were inter- 
spersed with trees, but abounded with good 
locations for artillery. They dominated 
the opposite bank and plain effectually. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 97 

The batteries of the 5th Corps were skil- 
fully placed to cover the passage of the 
ford. The river was two hundred yards 
wide and varied in depth, from a secure 
footing of three feet to that of four feet, 
which was decidedly uncertain. When the 
brigade came to the river we found that the 
Chesapeake and Ohio canal beside it was 
dry. We crossed it and entered the water 
at what was called Blackford's or Shepards- 
town Ford. The current was quite strong, 
but we braved it boldly. There was no 
haste or excitement. The weather was 
pleasant, and we anticipated an agreeable 
incursion into a beautiful section that was 
new to us. When we had forded the river 
and were forming our line bullets began to 
zip over us. I at first supposed that some 
of our new troops were discharging their 
muskets fearing that the powder had got 
wet ; but we soon perceived that the salutes 
were from the enemy who hoped to entrap 
us. General A. P. Hill's division had been 
hidden in the woods with the purpose of 

8 



98 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

attacking us when a considerable force had 
crossed, and before it was strong enough to 
cope with that excellent portion of Lee's 
army. 

Colonel Barnes in command of our brigade 
was informed by a negro that the woods 
were full of rebels. He pushed forward a 
strong skirmish line and verified the intelli- 
gence so loyally given. We filed up a 
ravine and took position in line of battle on 
its left. We lay down on the slope slightly 
below its crest, so that in firing while kneel- 
ing the plane of our fire would be not over 
two feet from the earth. Colonel Tilton 
was in command of the regiment and was 
very cool and sagacious. 

The 1 1 8th Pennsylvania Volunteers was on 
our right, and formed on the summit, and not 
profiting by our example, stood erect. The 
Confederates pressed forward in a very 
strong skirmish line. Our fire was so dead- 
ly that they deflected towards the ii8th 
Pennsylvania. A Confederate came within 
ten vards of us with his blanket roll over 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 99 

his shoulder and his musket grasped in both 
hands in position of ''ready" to aim. He 
was peering before him like a hunter look- 
ing for birds. It was his last hunt I believe, 
for he suddenly disappeared. 

The ii8th Pennsylvania was too much 
exposed ; its members were very brave, but 
their fire was too high, and almost wild. 
They were in the way of our artillery which 
from the other side was endeavoring to 
sweep the plain with shot, shell, grape and 
canister. 

We had a recruit in Company K named 
William Mulhern, over forty years old. He 
was a typical Irishman of the old school. 
He was in the rear rank and ordered to 
hold his fire. He could hear the bullets 
whiz over us, and mastered by excitement 
he jumped up, and cried in a voice pitched 
at a high key : 

"Show me the man I shall shoot !" 
Laughter rippled along our line despite 
our precarious situation. The nervous ten- 
sion of excitement, I believe, makes the 
LofC. 



100 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

mind keenly susceptible to conflicting emo- 
tions. The transition from anxiety and 
desperation to acute enjoyment of the 
humorous element in passing events is in- 
stantaneous. Mulhern was as well known 
in the regiment thereafter as the colonel, 
and was dubbed Daddy. 

A battery in endeavoring to protect us 
got the range too low. Edward Davis of 
Company B, was hit by a grape shot from 
it in the jaw, and mortally wounded. He 
hastened to the rear, holding his hands to 
his face. It impressed me vividly and was 
recalled by me when similarly injured. 

Captain F. K. Field of Company B, with- 
out an instant's hesitationstepped to the front 
standing in bold relief upon the sky line, 
with his back to our assailants. He 
waved his hands to our batteries indicating 
that they should aim higher. How he 
escaped I connot explain. His act was one 
of cool devotion that should not pass un- 
noted. He was understood and heeded, as 
the artillery commanders were watching the 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 101 

effect of their fire with field glasses. 

We soon filed to the right, and facing to 
the rear in line of battle, marched in firm 
array to the river and entered it. We 
expected to lose many men in the water, 
but the discharges from our artillery were 
so rapid that very few of the rebels could 
reach the bluff, and could not then fire 
accurately. 

We found the bed of the canal lined with 
infantry ready to open upon the Confed- 
erates should they come to the opposite 
shore. 

We passed some of our batteries. The 
working crews were clothed only with 
trousers, and shoes and stockings, and were 
laboring with frantic energy to maintain a 
rapid fire. The cannonade was heard in 
Washington, sixty miles distant by an air 
line. 

The 1 1 8th Pennsylvania could neither 
fight nor retreat successfully. They were 
very bold and persistent but poorly handled. 
Their loss was sixty-seven killed and one 



102 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

hundred and twenty wounded, out of eiglit 
hundred. The veteran battalions suffered 
comparatively little. The Confederates 
intended to make the affair a second Ball's 
Bluff, and gave to the European press 
thrilling accounts of it, claiming that the 
Potomac was blocked by our dead. The 
steadiness of our old battalions and the 
magnificent work of our artillery averted 
disaster. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Burnside. — Longstreet. — "Might have fallen in place 
of a better man." — President I^incoln seemed to be 
looking for those who were gone. — Confederate pris- 
oners. — Pontoons described. — McClellan relieved. — 
Safe man for both sides. — Porter's farewell review. — 
Eloquent address. — Burnside in command. — Freder- 
icksburg battle. — Writer wounded. — Capt. Wilson's 
care of wounded men. — *'0, Captain, I do care!" — 
Senator Wilson. — Government without funds. — Hos- 
pital in Boston. — Ball extracted by army surgeon. — 
Experience as a patient instructive. — Other methods 
advised. — Hooker in command. — Gen. Meade de- 
scribed. — Cabins, how built. — Glorious to suffer for 
your country. — Woodward or ** Fiddle."— Chancel- 
lorsville. — Where is Jackson ? — Aldie. — Frederick, 
Md. — Gen. Meade in command. 

General McClellan was in this campaign 
poorly served by General Burnside, who 
was loyal and chivalrous but lacked mental 
grasp and persistence. It was generally 
believed in North Carolina, that his success 
at Newbern was due to the urgent advice 
and vigor in action of General Foster. 

The Confederates were not fortified at the 



104 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

bridge over the Antietam, stormed by the 
9th Corps on the 17th, and the creek was 
fordable and carried by assault near the 
bridge. When he had gained ground he 
should have held it stubbornly, and not 
retired and permitted a division of the 5th 
Corps to relieve him at the front. Generals 
I^ee and Longstreet both assert that less 
than forty thousand Confederates were 
available at Sharpsburg. General McClel- 
lan had about eighty thousand men, and 
still fought upon the theory that he was 
vastly outnumbered. This habit was in- 
herent with him and the main cause of his 
failures in offensive warfare. 

If the battle had been pressed by McClel- 
lan upon the i8th, with all of his forces, 
Lee would have been crushed. Lee fought 
on the defensive upon the 17th, and 
sustained heavy losses and yielded some 
ground. We suffered also, but the 5th and 
6th Corps had not been fairly under fire. 

General Longstreet evidently considers 
that their army was in extreme peril. Gen. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 105 

McClellan missed his great opportunity. A 
battle is largely a question of chance, and 
the commander who has the moral courage 
to gauge conditions on both sides and risk 
something wins. 

We went into camp near Sharpsburg, and 
received many accessions from the hospitals 
of men who were wounded or taken sick 
upon the peninsula. The reunions were 
generally very cordial. We were glad 
to be strengthened by veterans. One 
individual who had been sent to the rear 
before our casualties were numerous, was 
believed by his comrades to have feigned 
sickness. He noted that the reception 
given him was somewhat chilling, and 
remarked to a group around a camp fire, 
that he was sorry he had been away, and 
that he did not claim to be as good a soldier 
as were very many others, and that very 
little had been lost by his absence. The 
reply was made by one who was embittered 
by the havoc among his friends, that if the 
apologist had been present he might have 



106 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

been shot in the place of a better man. 

This was cruel, and so keenly felt that an 
effort was made by him who delivered the 
thrust to pass it off as a joke. The logic, 
however, was sound, and in accord with the 
convictions of the element that moulded 
the opinions of the vast majority of the 
army. 

The 5th Corps encamped near Sharps- 
burg, and was deficient in supplies of cloth- 
ing and arms. This was the condition of 
the entire army, and in the controversies 
which ensued between the War Department 
and General McClellan upon that subject, 
I believe McClellan was right. 

President Lincoln reviewed the 5th Corps 
October 3, 1862. We did not pass in 
review. He rode around every battalion 
and seemed much worn and distressed, and 
to be looking for those who were gone. 
Our array was not imposing in numbers. 
The veteran battalions had sadly dimin- 
ished, but their spirit and bearing were un- 
exceptionable. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 107 

While I was on duty at the ford, a batch 
of rebel prisoners was conducted through 
our lines having been exchanged. They 
were hardy and resolute men undoubtedly, 
but very slouchy in looks. The Confeder- 
ates had cloth haversacks, and fat bacon 
was an important ration with them. It 
would penetrate the haversack, and also the 
clothing of the owner from knee to waist. 
Hair and beard were seldom trimmed, and 
the whole effect was in marked contrast to 
the neatness of our troops, who inherited 
the customs of the regular service. 

On October 30th, we broke camp at dark, 
and marched all night and halted within 
four miles of Harper's Ferry, and starting 
at 10 A. M. the following day, crossed the 
pontoon bridge there and camped at Hills- 
boro, Virginia. 

The pontoons were flat bottomed boats, 
about fifteen feet long and four feet wide, 
and two feet deep. One of them would 
make a load for a six-mule team. A bridge 
was made by anchoring these boats about 



108 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ten feet apart. String timbers and planks 
would be quickly laid and fastened by bolts 
and wooden pins. The material was car- 
ried with the train and placed by a drilled 
force. The roadway was ten feet wide and 
would safely bear loaded teams and artillery. 
It was necessary for infantry to break step 
to prevent the swaying of these bridges. 

On Sunday, November 9th, we were in 
camp near Warrenton, Va., having made 
several marches. Some of them were in 
cold weather, varied with snow, but the 
discomfort was not accompanied by much 
sickness. 

General McClellan was relieved on No- 
vember 7th, by General Burnside, an un- 
fortunate selection. He did not have the 
confidence of the army. General Sumner 
would have been much more acceptable. 
General McClellan took leave of the army 
November loth, and was very warmly 
greeted as he rode along the lines. But 
the enthusiasm was not unbounded. He 
was a safe man for us, and perhaps for the 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 109 

enemy also. He was a wonderful organizer, 
and his services as such have not received 
just recognition. He was the first love of 
the army and was hailed as a great leader 
before he had won his laurels. 

His autobiography has impaired his fame. 
In it he strenuously complains that he did 
not have sufficient force, but fails to explain 
why he did not use fully that at his com- 
mand. His assumption of the role of a 
politician was very unfortunate for him as 
a commander. He assumes that the troops 
regarded him as their Moses, and were dis- 
consolate at his departure. As a matter of 
fact they were for the cause as embodied 
in a representative government. The for- 
tunes of no individual were a grave issue 
with us. 

There are very few who served under 
McClellan at the formative period of the 
army, and on the peninsula, who do not feel 
kindly towards him. 

On November 12th, the 5th Corps was 
paraded to permit General Fitz John Porter 



110 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

to bid US farewell. An elaborate attempt 
was made for some purpose, not then known, 
to make an impressive demonstration. The 
battalions were formed in columns by com- 
pany, and General Porter's farewell address 
was read to each regiment. It was elo- 
quently phrased, and referred to the organi- 
zations of the regular army as custodians of 
the colors and records, of the battalions that 
had gloriously sustained the honor of the 
United States in all its wars. Effusive 
compliments were paid to the volunteers 
whose valor was described as unfaltering, 
and devotion unsurpassed. The address 
concluded with cordial expressions of good 
will. It was a model of its kind. We were 
ordered to cheer as we presented arms upon 
the approach of the general. This was 
without precedent and was a grave mistake,, 
as a cheer is supposed to be based on free- 
dom in its strictest sense. Some regiments 
responded heartily to the command. The 13th 
New York was silent, others were divided, 
among whom was the 22d Massachusetts. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. Ill 

It was not known that Porter was in dis. 
grace, or that he claimed that he could not 
march upon the night of August 27th, 1862. 
Neither was it fully understood that he was 
responsible for our inaction on August 29th. 
When his defence was developed, his cause 
fell to the ground, with those of the 5th 
Corps who were present during the cam- 
paign in question. 

With November 17th, 1862, commenced 
our active campaign under General Burn- 
side, the objective point being Fredericks- 
burg, Va. 

Upon December nth, we arrived at the 
heights of Stafford, opposite that historic 
city. During these twenty-four days we 
experienced much cold weather. We halted 
several times for a day or more. Rations 
were meagre as our lines of transportation 
via Aquia Creek were not opened as prompt- 
ly as anticipated. At Smoky camp for two 
days my men did not get one half the bread 
they were entitled to. They were good 
foragers and had found or appropriated. 



112 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

recently a sheet iron camp kettle, and 
rejoiced also, in the possession of a large 
steel frying pan, brought with us from 
Maryland. Our fresh meat was fully util- 
ized. Its bones were boiled for hours, mak- 
ing soup that was nourishing and palatable 
with hunger as a sauce. 

I was much interested at this place by a 
talk of James Wright, the orderly sergeant 
of the company, to a gathering by a camp 
fire. He said success could not be achieved 
by gaining one battle, that we must wear 
the enemy out, and should be contented 
whenever our losses did not exceed theirs. 
This was the first enunciation of the theory 
of attrition that I had ever heard among the 
enlisted men. It was pithily stated and its 
force soon widely recognized in the army. 

During December 12th, we moved near 
the Rappahannock, and were visited by 
many men from other divisions who had 
secured large quantities of tobacco, and 
generously distributed it to those who 
desired it. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 113 

General Hooker was in command of the 
Grand Division, Butterfield of the Corps, 
and Griffin of the Division. These officers 
had the confidence of the troops, but we 
were not aware that they had but little 
influence in planning the battle. We all 
understood on the forenoon of December 
13th, 1862, that the enemy had a strong 
position on the heights back of Fredericks- 
burg, and that there were no tenable places 
where artillery could be used to aid in the 
assault, and that the contest raging was 
desperate in its nature and barren of satis- 
factory results for our arms. While the 
men waited patiently in line for the order 
to advance, I detailed Sergeant Wenzel to 
compel a private regarding whom I had 
misgivings to do his duty. A cheerful 
and determined spirit prevailed. We were 
resolved to deserve success if we did not 
win it. Colonel Tilton was in command 
of the regiment and Colonel James Barnes 
of the i8th Massachusetts Volunteers, of 
the brigade. 



114 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

At half past two Colonel Barnes gave tlie 
order to march. We crossed the river upon 
a pontoon bridge below the centre of the 
city, which consisted of a few streets par- 
allel to the water and lined with substantial 
buildings. We filed to the right then to 
the left, and were soon exposed to the 
artillery of Lee. The column passed over a 
small embankment upon which the enemy's 
range was perfect, as a shell about every 
twenty seconds would explode there, killing 
or wounding several men. 

I turned to see if my company kept its 
formation intact, when Ned Flood, custodian 
of the treasured frying pan, held it out so 
as to catch my attention and asked by word 
and gesture, permission to drop it. I as- 
sented and with a serio-comical look of 
grief he cast it from him. In an instant we 
were on the bank and a shell burst over us 
wounding four of my men. 

We moved steadily on and filed to the 
right upon an open plain, then facing to 
the front advanced on the enemy in line of 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 115 

battle. The fire upon us was tremendous, 
but, under its gallant leaders, the brigade 
closed its ranks and pressed on. After 
traveling about eight hundred yards we 
reached the extreme front, the 22d taking 
the position previously held by the 12th 
Rhode Island Volunteers, and still occupied 
by their dead, who were almost numerous 
enough for one rank of a line of battle. 

We were slightly sheltered by a little 
ridge or undulation, and lay prone upon the 
earth. I looked back and saw Sergeant 
Wenzel stalking through the storm of fire 
with his musket at support arms. He 
came to me, and was about to come to 
shoulder arms and salute, when I ordered 
him peremptorily to lie down. He obeyed, 
and said that the man placed under his 
charge jumped and ran when the shell 
exploded at the bank, and that he caught 
him, and found that he was severely 
wounded, and assisted him for a few 
moments. The sergeant assured me that 
if the man in question had been unhurt he 



116 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

would have brought him to me. I knew 
when I made the detail that Wenzel was 
inexorable as fate in the execution of 
orders. 

The rebels had lines upon a commanding 
elevation over eight hundred yards distant, 
and a nearer line one hundred and fifty 
yards away, and somewhat lower than the 
position held by us. The enemy soon 
began to yell and the volume of sound 
indicated a heavy force and the intention to 
charge. Our men sprang to their feet. 
Sergeant Martis advanced the colors, and 
standing upon the crest of the ridge, our 
boys raised a cheer of defiance and began a 
rapid and deadly fire upon our assailants. 

I took a musket and some cartridges from 
a wounded man, and helped my men out. 
I stood a little to the right and rear of 
Sergeant Morrissey, and we thrust our ram- 
rods into the wet ground to save time. I 
had fired only a few rounds when Morrissey 
and I grasped simultaneously the same 
ramrod. He was fighting like a fiend, and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 117 

glared upon me like a tiger, but his expres- 
sion changed like a flash into one of pleased 
recognition. 

This is the last I recollect prior to being 
struck by an ounce ball from the second 
line of the Confederates, which passed 
through the angle of my left jaw lodging 
in my neck. I must have had the right 
side of my face upon the musket while in 
the act of aiming downward, and was struck 
from above. Morrissey fell at the same 
instant, a ball passing behind his eyes and 
mortally wounding him. He was taken to 
the rear after dark by Sergeants Wright 
and Kenfield, who were determined to see 
that he was properly cared for. He was 
inconsolable about his sight and could not 
be deceived regarding it. He died Decem- 
ber 24, 1862, a gallant and devoted soldier. 
I was taken back a few yards where I was 
less exposed, and must have been uncon- 
scious for some time. 

As I rallied from the shock my mind was 
disturbed as in a troubled dream. I beheld 



118 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

again E. Davis of Company B, going to the 
rear at Shepardstown or Blackford's Ford, 
Va., the previous September 20th, with his 
ghastly face wound, and soon found I was 
in a similar condition. But I quickly 
gained strength and confidence, though 
bleeding profusely. 

The enemy had been repulsed and the 
fire slackened. Two of my men helped me 
to the rear and I was taken in an ambulance 
over the river and then brought back, as it 
was decided to use the city for hospital 
purposes. The trip was very trying. I 
was taken to a house, seized for our brig- 
ade hospital, and when I walked into the 
parlor Adjutant Benson of our regiment, 
exclaimed in amzement : 

''I thought I saw you shot through the 
head." 

He was looking for the wounded for a 
few minutes. I was provided with a pallet 
in the parlor, with about a dozen other 
officers nearly all from the 2d Maine. 

Captain Wilson of that regiment was 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 119 

severely wounded but alert. He said that 
a young private of his company had been 
on the operating table and lost a badly 
shattered leg without being consulted, and 
he wished him brought into our room where 
he could care for him. We readily con- 
sented, and while unconscious he was placed 
upon an improvised bed on the floor, and 
all waited the denouement. He was a 
beardless boy, handsome as a girl. 

As consciousness returned he gazed around 
in a dazed way, but soon grasped the situa- 
tion, and raising slightly turned back the 
blanket exposing the stump. Captain Wil- 
son then addressed him in a kindly and 
eloquent manner, saying that the bone was 
shattered in fragments, that the amputa- 
tion was unavoidable and that he would 
soon recover, and would live to a good old 
age in Bangor, and be honored there, but 
unfortunately in closing he said : 
" York, you don't care, do you?" 
The poorboy's eyes suffused with tears, and 
in a voice tremulous with grief he replied : 



120 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

" O captain, I do care !" 

Every sound was hushed for several mo- 
ments. Captain Wilson was overwhelmed. 
York, I was informed, gradually faded away. 
The pathos and dramatic force of the inci- 
dent have never lost their potency with me. 

Our brigade the ist, of ist Division, 5th 
Corps, took into action about 2500 men and 
lost 500. The eighty-nine reported missing 
were undoubtedly killed upon the plain. 
Total Union loss 12,653 killed and wounded ; 
Confederate, 5377. 

In the course of three or four days I 
reached Washington. I was feeble but able 
to walk. I called upon Senator Henry 
Wilson, Chairman of the Senate Military 
Committee, who raised the twenty-second. 
He was very kind, and got me a leave of 
absence. He found that there was not a 
paymaster in Washington who had funds. 
The army was six months in arrears. He 
said measures were being taken to raise 
$50,000,000 to pay it. He personally loaned 
me what I needed. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 121 

The popular depression was unmistaka- 
ble. Gloom prevailed in loyal circles every- 
where. The Confederates and the irfriends 
believed that we must acknowledge the inde- 
pendence of the Confederacy. 

I reached Somerville, Mass., my home, 
in due season, and early in January, 1863, 
entered the Massachusetts general hospital. 
I had a swelling in my neck three inches 
below the wound. My father thought it 
was the ball. Dr. Bigelow at the hospital 
scouted the opinion, and said it was a 
sympathetic gland. In probing the wound 
he was convinced that the ball was lodged 
in the angle of the jaw. He made some 
very unkind remarks about our defeat that 
I thought gratuitous but I did not reply, 
not trusting my temper. He manifested 
much interest in my case, and undoubtedly 
gave me the full benefit of all the skill at 
his command, and the mistake in his diag- 
nosis was also made by others of the highest 
repute in surgery. 

The wound was distended for several 



122 MUSKKT AND SWORD. 

days, and under the influence of ether I 
was operated upon, an effort being made to 
find the ball in the jaw. Several hours 
afterwards hemorrhage set in, and was only 
stopped after a strenuous and doubtful 
struggle, by the house surgeon and attend- 
ants. Inflammation ensued, and after two 
weeks was reduced, so that I was in a fit 
condition to be taken home by my father. 

In May, 1863, after the Chancellorsville 
campaign, my wound had changed in con- 
tour. I was convinced that the ball was 
not in the jaw, and for the first time since 
my return to the front in the last of March, 
submitted my case to the regimental sur- 
geons, Drs. Stearns and Simmons. They 
did not feel flattered by my previous avoid- 
ance of them, but we were all friends, and 
they forgave me when informed of my 
sufferings. 

Dr. Stearns remarked that the insertion 
of a needle would not hurt the gland, and 
would determine if the swelling was caused 
by the ball. In a moment the test was 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 123 

made and ore struck. On tHe following 
day an incision an inch in depth removed 
the rifle ball. 

Gunshot wounds are indeed very puzzling. 
My course in surgery as a patient was at 
least instructive, but I advise the study of 
the profession from some other standpoint. 

When I returned to the army, Gen. Jo- 
seph Hooker had been its commander for 
nearlv two months. The record he had 
made and his popularity justified the selec- 
tion. On the Peninsula, he had advised an 
offensive policy, and had commanded a di- 
vision with great skill. His energy under 
Gen. Pope, and magnificent leadership in 
the Maryland campaign, challenged the ad- 
miration of the country. 

It was well known that he was very free 
in his comments upon his superiors. But 
he was a brilliant corps commander, and 
his promotion to the control of the Army of 
the Potomac was very acceptable to it. 

Laurels now had to be won before they 
could be worn. 



124 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Gen. Daniel Butterfield was made chief 
of staff, which was very satisfactory to our 
division, in which he had led a brigade. 
He was brave, competent, and popular. 
He caused corps badges to be designed and 
adopted. This idea had great practical 
value. It excited enthusiasm, checked 
straggling, and identified wounded and dead 
partially. Gen. Hooker had been in the 
cavalry service, and had sound views re- 
garding it. He proceeded to consolidate 
and reorganize that branch of the service 
in the Army of the Potomac. It was thor- 
oughly done. Weak or inefficient officers 
were discharged, and brigades and divisions 
given brilliant leaders. A complete equip- 
ment was furnished, and an energetic de- 
mand made for satisfactory results. 

Our men had become accustomed to rid- 
ing, and were trained to use their weapons 
skilfully, and they responded to the appeal. 

The days of the ascendency of the gallant 
southern troopers were soon over. They 
fought desperately, and sometimes with sue- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 125 

cess. Biit our superior equipment and 
equal intrepidity gave our mounted force 
growing superiority. 

Gen. Geo. C. Meade was the Fifth Corps 
commander. His appearance was in marked 
contrast to that of Generals Porter and 
Butterfield, his predecessors, who were fine 
looking men and dashing horsemen. 

Gen. Meade wore both beard a moustach- 
es, and was very near-sighted. This com- 
pelled him to wear eye-glasses. His bearing 
was that of a student or professor. He was 
very active and inquisitive, and his industry 
and mastery of details were surprising. It 
was said by the clerks at corps headquar- 
ters that he would work until midnight. 
He scrutinized closely all reports, and ex- 
acted the return, from detached duty to the 
ranks, of all whose detail was not absolute- 
ly necessary. He inspired respect, as it 
was known that he was, in addition to his 
administrative ability, a determined and 
skilful fighter. 

The troops were in cabins made of logs 



126 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

and with roofs covered with cloth. These 
quarters were about twelve feet long by six 
feet wide, with an aperture for a rude door. 
The logs would be laid horizontally, and to 
the height of six feet. The frame for a 
gable roof would be made from small poles, 
and the cloth cover, of pieces of shelter 
tents. Bunks would be made of poles, or 
with boards from boxes, two feet from the 
earth. These cabins would accommodate 
four men each. They all had fire-places, and 
the woods for a long distance had been de- 
stroyed by the industrious seekers for fuel. 
Gen. Hooker exhibited great tact and 
judgment in his treatment of the army. 
Full rations were issued, and clothing, in- 
cluding foot-wear, was in full supply. The 
troops were not unnecessarily harassed, 
and good feeling prevailed. Gen. Hooker 
was understood to claim, in his lofty style, 
that he had the best army on the planet. 
He also asserted that he would fight with it 
against Lee, as long as a battalion would 
hold together. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 127 

The President again visited us and re- 
viewed the army. At this time it was com- 
posed of better material than ever before or 
after. There were very few if any organi- 
zations that had not been in battle. 

Capt. Conant, of our regiment, who was 
quite popular, received his discharge at this 
period for physical disability, and gave a 
farewell reception and supper to the compa- 
ny officers. It was conducted on very dig- 
nified lines, but those who desired to drink 
to the health of the host were not obliged 
to use water. Lieut. Wm. H. Steele, in com- 
mand of Company H, was very genial and 
popular, and only twenty-two years old. 
He toasted Capt. Conant once too often, but 
the fact was not evident, except to a very 
close observer. He returned to his cabin, 
and was immediately waited upon by a 
habitual grumbler, who charged that Char- 
ley Haseltine, the orderly sergeant, had im- 
posed upon him. Haseltine was very just, 
and the lieutenant knew it. The complain- 
ant was persistent, and the lieutenant was 



128 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

solemn and reserved, fearing that he might 
betray evidence of his indiscretion. Finally 
he said that he had every confidence in the 
sergeant, and that there must be some mis- 
take that could be explained. This did not 
appease the man. Lieut. Steele then said, '' I 
think you are wrong but sincere ;" and ad- 
ded impressively : " Young man, don't you 
know it is glorious to suffer for your 
country ? " 

A goodly portion of the company was 
outside listening to this, Lieut. Steele's first 
decision on a question of discipline, and it 
was keenly enjoyed. It became a stock 
phrase and was frequently the only satisfac- 
tion that could be given. 

The campaign began April 28, 1863, and 
we marched eighteen miles and halted near 
Kelly's Ford. Upon the following day, we 
crossed the Rappahannock, and after ad- 
vancing sixteen miles, reached and forded 
the Rapidan, which was quite deep. After 
moving a few miles on the 30th, we came 
in touch with the enemy. While halting to 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 129 

load, I heard a member of Co. K. say : — 

'' Fiddle, here is a musket." 

W. T. Woodward, the person addressed, 
seized it eagerly, and taking a cartridge 
from his pocket, loaded and stepped into 
the front rank. He was twenty years old, 
and enlisted from Dorchester, Mass., in 
1861. He was six feet high and weighed 
one hundred and ten pounds. He was sup- 
posed to be consumptive, but protested 
against being discharged. He was too 
weak, when we left winter quarters, to car- 
ry a musket. But he kept with the compa- 
ny and was helped by his friends ; especially 
by Daddy Mulhern, who was very strong 
and was his chum. Woodward had his fa- 
ther's home for refuge, but said that he 
came with the boys and wished to return 
with them. 

His wonderful persistence and courage 
endeared him to his associates. They 
would chaff him, saying that if ht kept 
behind his musket he would be safe. He 
was wounded severely however, both at 

10 



130 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Gettysburg and Petersburg. He became a 
letter-carrier in Dorcbester, and died there 
about 1890. 

The campaign lasted until May 6. We 
were marched and countermarched, and 
several times were under heavy artillery fire. 

The Confederates very foolishly attacked 
us on May 4. Our division line formed a 
right angle. The 9th Mass. advanced from 
our front towards the woods, in magnificent 
style. The rebels swarmed to attack it in 
flank. Thirty pieces of artillery were in 
position on the other face of the angle and 
delivered a volley, followed by rapid dis- 
charges of shot and shell into the woods 
through which the Confederates were com- 
ing. 

May 6, we recrossed the Rappahannock. 
The army had been but partially en- 
gaged. The ist, 2nd, 5th, and 12th Corps 
had been simply in line, and not actively 
used. The 6th Corps at Fredericksburg, 
and the 3d and nth with us, were great 
sufferers. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 131 

Gen. Hooker had proved unequal to his 
task and lost the conlddence of the army as 
its leader. The sentiment generally ex- 
pressed was that Hooker had been beaten, 
— not the army. 

It was the common opinion, in the army, 
that Gen. Howard, in command of the nth 
Corps, had not been vigilant and had al- 
lowed his men to be surprised. We lost 
eleven thousand killed and wounded, and 
five thousand prisoners. The loss of I^ee's ar- 
my was, in killed and wounded, equal to ours. 
This fact was gradually developed. Our 
ambulance trains were sent over under a 
flag of truce to gather our wounded, and re- 
ported that the casualties among the enemy 
were frightful. Stonewall Jackson, after 
his defeat of the nth Corps, pushed on 
with reckless fury and launched his infan- 
try against the batteries of Pleasanton and 
of the 3d Corps. He was baffled, and his 
men swept down by a terrific cannonade 
and the musketry fire of the gallant troops 
led by Sickles. 



132 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Gen. R. E. Lee displayed consummate 
ability in this compaign, advancing his 
prestige to its highest point. 

Chancellorsville is a sad word with Con- 
federate writers, — for Stonewall Jackson, 
their loved leader, perished there. His loss 
was irreparable. No other chief could com- 
mand such efforts and sacrifices from the 
rank and file as he. 

We returned to our camps ; and old pick- 
et lines were re-established, and the tacit 
truce between them renewed. The Confed- 
erates would inquire when we were coming 
over again, and our boys were silent. But 
when Jackson's death was known and our 
men asked, " Where is Jackson?" the situa- 
tion was reversed. 

New dispositions were wisely made, but 
the confidence of the army in Gen. Hooker's 
ability to handle it in action was gone. 

The troops from New York and Maine, 
that were enlisted for two years, now began 
to leave us. Our brigade lost, between 
Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, from this 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 133 

cause, the I3tli and 25th New York and the 
2nd Maine. The regiments enlisted for two 
years were, of course, but a small portion of 
those furnished by the above states. 

The campaign to thwart Lee was initiat- 
ed May 30, 1863. The cavalry corps crossed 
the Rappahannock and engaged the Confed- 
erate cavalry, under Stuart, on the plains 
near Brandy Station. The contest was 
desperate, with varying fortune, but the re- 
sult gave our mounted force confidence and 
prestige. Important papers and orders were 
captured disclosing Lee's plans. His inten- 
tion to invade the North was outlined, and 
the Army of the Potomac directed its course 
northward through the Loudon valley. 

We traveled twenty miles, June 17, stop- 
ping at Gum Spring. The heat was exces- 
sive and water very scarce. It was reported 
that twenty-seven men died from sunstroke 
during the day, in our division of three 
brigades. Col. Gleason, of the 25th New 
York, was one of the victims. 

The Confederates had, after the Chancel- 



134 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

lorsville campaign, preached a new crusade. 

Gen. Longstreet's corps was brought 
from Suffolk, Va., and the ranks of the old 
regiments filled with recruits and conscripts, 
full of enthusiasm and trusting implicitly in 
the leadership of General Lee to win a deci- 
sive victory. 

At Gum Spring I was assigned to the 
charge of the brigade ambulance train. 
Lieut. Ayers of the i8th Massachusetts, 
was in command of the division train, con- 
sisting of three brigade sections. My con- 
trol was over ten two-horse ambulance 
wagons and fifteen men. I accepted the 
duty temporarily as I was enfeebled by my 
wound, and could not recuperate while the 
marching was so prolonged. My efforts to 
keep up with the column were often una- 
vailing, and there was no alternative except 
leave of absence, which I did not want. 

I was failing under the heat but rallied 
in my new position. We halted at Aldie 
June 19th. A fiercely contested cavalry 
engagement had occurred there on the 17th. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 135 

The ist Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry 
had participated and I searched for my 
schoolmate Richard Hill, and found that 
he had been wounded and sent to a general 
hospital. Upon June 21st, we followed the 
cavalry and our division of infantry to 
Ashby's Gap, in the dividing range between 
the Loudon and Shenandoah Valleys. The 
distance was fifteen miles. The Confeder- 
ate cavalry tried to stop us, and there were 
several sharp combats between the mounted 
forces. In these our men were successful 
before the infantry could help. Its pres- 
ence made the enemy less tenacious in hold- 
ing strong positions. They knew that 
the infantry or "walk-a-heaps," as the 
Indians call it, could dislodge them if 
awaited. 

Our cavalry could see from the Gap, the 
columns of Lee going north. The cavalry 
is indeed the eyes and ears of an army, and 
owing to some error Stuart with the main 
body of the Confederate cavalry was on our 
right flank. General Lee was therefore 



136 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

poorly served with information about our 
movements for several days. 

The Loudon Valley was a beautiful 
country, undulating, fertile and well cul- 
tivated, and dotted with the fine homesteads 
of an intelligent people. 

We crossed the Potomac at Edward's 
Ferry June 27th, and camped near Fred- 
erick, Md., the following day. General 
Meade took command of the army here. It 
was understood that he was the choice of 
the corps commanders, and was reluctant 
to assume the responsibility. He promul- 
gated a brief annoucement of the fact, 
which was very well received. The army 
was weary of military grandiloquence. It 
knew that General Meade meant to fight 
with desperation, and had faith in his abili- 
ty. The army was directed vigorously 
upon Lee's communications with his base 
of supplies. 



CHAPTER V. 

Doubly volunteers, — Gettysburg. — Stretcher bearers on 
line of battle. — Surgeons. — He chased a wounded 
man. — Sergeant Wright. — First doctor that has under- 
stood my case. — Tact required with wounded. — i8th 
Massachusetts wouldn't cheer. — Waiting for the army 
to come again. — Horses out-marched. — Kearney's 
sabre. — Bristow. — Private Russell. — Would have lain 
down and died if given time. — Fight of the Provost 
Guard. — Fletcher Webster's grave. — Gen. Sykes 
halted by picket. — Battle at Rappahannock Station. 

The marches from Frederick, Md., were 
forced, and as the troops were worn by the 
movement from the Rappahannock the de- 
mands upon their endurance could not be 
fully met. The stragglers now included a 
large element of the most faithful men. 
The various Provost Guards could not cope 
with the difficulty as its magnitude was so 
great and the reason for it so palpable and 
unanswerable. Thousands would throng 
the roads long after dark seeking their 
regiments. The men on northern soil were 



138 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

safe and were doubly volunteers, as under 
the circumstances duty could be evaded 
almost without censure. 

The 5th Corps arrived near Gettysburg 
at 9 A. M., July 2d, 1863. It had been 
travelling for twenty-four hours with but 
very brief halts, and its ranks were materi- 
ally reduced in numbers by unavoidable 
straggling. The brigade rested in woods 
on the west bank of Rock Creek. I left the 
train and took the stretcher bearers under 
my control to the front. We found the 
men were 'enjoying the shade ; very many 
were sleeping. But the expectation that 
the Confederates would speedily attack 
excited an interest that kept the majority 
awake. 

Lee's army was supposed to be in excel- 
lent condition, and well in hand. It had 
preceded us to Pennsylvania, marching 
leisurely. It was plainly the part of wis- 
dom for him to assail us before our army 
could concentrate. But on the previous 
day he had lost 7500 men, and employed 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 139 

seventeen of his thirty-seven brigades in 
defeating one fourth of Meade's army, and 
was very cautious. 

Every hour added to our strength. Those 
who had fallen out from exhaustion were 
constantly reporting with expressions of 
satisfaction that they were in time. The 
ruling temper was one of desperation. We 
must win or die here, was the watchword. 
Our general position upon the 2nd of 
July was within the limits of wedge-shaped 
lines. This gave General Meade a great 
advantage in shifting troops to strengthen 
menaced positions. He used it fully during 
the day. Colonel Tilton led the brigade 
and lyieut.- Colonel Sherwin our regi- 
ment. When the order to move came at 
about 4 P. M., the column moved quietly 
and rapidly through the fields. In a few 
moments we halted in the edge of a belt of 
high timber, free from undergrowth, but 
abounding in large boulders. Line of bat- 
tle was formed instantly. I asked Lieut. - 
Colonel Sherwin where he wanted the 



140 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Stretchers ? He made a reply that I do not 
now recall. I placed them four paces 
behind the line. The 3d Corps skirmish- 
ers then came from the front and said the 
rebels were following. 

In a moment they were among the bould- 
ers, and not over fifty feet away. They 
were as much protected as we. There was 
no recoil on either side but an unflinching 
exchange of deadly fire. 

My squad which regarded its situation as 
without precedent, and could not leave 
without loads got them very soon, and dis- 
appeared with marvellous celerity. 

The orders on the firing line were not to 
assist the wounded during a crisis. The 
story is told that a certain individual whose 
record was not remarkably good, went into 
the fight cheerfully but soon weakened, and 
sought a pretext to retreat. He saw a com- 
rade who was wounded in an arm, very 
properly running to the rear, and started to 
help him. The boys said that the fellow 
when last seen was chasing a wounded man 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 141 

to help him off the field, and that the 
injured comrade was gaining gradually. 

I went with my men to keep them up to 
their duty. They were very faithful, but 
did not have to go upon the firing line 
again. The wounded were everywhere. 
Surgeons were in little hollows 250 to 400 
yards in rear of the combatants to give 
temporary relief and exhibited great courage 
and fidelity for non-combatants. 

The 5th Corps fought with wonderful 
tenacity and varied fortune, but on the 
whole successfully. Its battalions never 
broke and when forced back retreated fight- 
ing, and would again take the offensive. 
The 3d Brigade of our division immortalized 
itself by holding Little Round Top. 

I heard an artillery ofiicer of portly form 
and florid complexion, exclaim: *'God 
bless the 5th Corps, it is holding them !" 
I had expected judging from his sanguine 
temperament and excited manner to listen 
to some profane imprecation upon the 
enemy. 



142 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

After darkness set in I went back to Rock 
Creek. The day's battle was over, tbe 3d 
Corps was assembling again and the reserve 
artillery was moving across the bridge to 
the front. The troops were exultant, the 
consensus of opinion was that Lee would 
not again attack. The scale it was believed 
had turned in our favor. We were con- 
stantly receiving accessions from the strag- 
glers and belated. There was also confi- 
dence in our leadership. Meade had exhib- 
ited skill and energy. He was a short range 
fighter personally, when the emergency de- 
manded a supreme effort. Generals Han- 
cock and Warren also came grandly to the 
front. 

Sergeant J. W. Kenfield, my protege, 
of Company E, of the 22d Massachusetts, 
was wounded and with several others of the 
same regiment was in a tent beyond Rock 
Creek. William T. Woodward, or " Fiddle, '» 
of K, was helped in. " How did you get a 
flesh wound?'' was asked with some hilarity 
by those whose sufferings were not then 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 143 

acute. He replied: *'Boys, I kept behind 
my musket but some Johnny got a flank 
shot at me, and here I am." 

I returned to the front, and finding my 
regiment, secured a blanket and slept upon 
the field. Upon the 3d, I was busy with 
the ambulances conveying wounded to the 
field hospital, which was established one- 
half mile east of Rock Creek on the Balti- 
more Turnpike. 

A tremendous cannonade began at i p. 
M., and lasted an hour. It was understood 
that it was preliminary to an assault upon 
our lines, which we all felt would be futile 
in results, except as it brought disaster 
upon the Confederates. The repulse was 
soon known. ' There were many Southern- 
ers among the wounded, and they received 
the same attention as our comrades. Or- 
derly Sergeant James Wright of my Com- 
pany E, of the 22d Massachusetts, was shot 
through a lung. The ball was taken out 
of his back. He was feeble but cheerful. 
He rejoined the regiment the October fol- 



144 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

lowing, but could not stand the exposure, 
and was sent home. He told me that he 
was examined repeatedly by surgeons for 
several days, and warned that his case was 
incurable. But he was hopeful; finally a 
brigade surgeon of the regular army after a 
careful inspection said : 

'' I believe that as you have lived ten 
days you will recover." 

The sergeant then remarked : 

' ' You are the first surgeon who has under- 
stood my case." 

The others knew the wound but not the 
man. Wright said the hospitals were fully 
supplied with well-meaning helpers whose 
aid was volunteered and invaluable. There 
was another element, however, devoid of 
tact and judgment. Its members were 
devoted and sympathetic and though atten- 
tive to physical wants of the wounded, con- 
sidered it their mission to give religious 
advice or consolation whether it was accept- 
able or not. They would say to many in a 
grave but not hopeless condition, that they 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 145 

should prepare for death. The sergeant 
said two comrades near him were very 
unfavorably affected physically by these 
warnings. He repelled the exhorters, say- 
ing that he was prepared to die when he 
went into action, and his mind was undis- 
turbed, and he was confident that he would 
recover. He is now (May, 1900), an inmate 
of the Soldiers* Home, at Togus, Maine. I 
regret to make strictures upon the discre- 
tion of those who, animated by religious zeal 
and patriotism, have cared for the wounded. 
It is my purpose to present the truth with- 
out fear or favor. I hope in so doing to aid 
in a slight degree in correcting mistakes in 
the treatment of the sick and wounded. I 
believe that religious advice and consola- 
tion should be available and freely given to 
all who wish for it. No sectarian or creed 
lines should be drawn, but the wishes of the 
patient ought to be respected if he does not 
want such attention. 

Upon July 4th, at 10 p. M., the am- 
bulances went to the front to collect the 

II 



146 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

wounded from temporary shelters, and bring 
them to the well appointed hospitals in 
the rear. Nearly all were in a very dis- 
tressing condition. Their wounds were 
fevered, and as our route through the fields 
was very rough our procession was accom- 
panied almost continually by groans and 
exclamations of agony. It was very har- 
rowing to me. We expected many would 
die before the division hospital was reached, 
but all survived. 

The movement after Lee began on the 
afternoon of July 5th, and as the regiments 
were formed to await marching orders, I 
witnessed an incident that was trivial in 
some respects. It was, however, instruc- 
tive, as an exemplification of the temper 
and traits of the veterans. A petty ad- 
vantage had been gained by a small force 
of cavalry over the enemy near Williams- 
port, Md., on the Potomac. A circular 
containing the details had been sent to the 
commanders of regiments through the regu- 
lar official channels from army headquart- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 147 

ers as a matter of general interest. Colonel 
Hayes, of the i8th Massachusetts, formed 
his battalion in column by company, at half 
distance. He then announced that an im- 
portant circular would be read by the adju- 
tant. The strictest attention was given in 
anticipation of thrilling intelligence. At 
the conclusion. Colonel Hayes waved his 
hat enthusiastically, and called for three 
cheers ; not a voice was raised in response. 
The situation was humiliating for the colo- 
nel, and his looks betrayed his surprise. 
The men regarded the circular as unimport- 
ant, and by common consent were silent. 

The i8th Massachusetts was an excellent 
regiment in every sense, and was composed 
of sagacious men. Colonel Hayes was a 
brave officer and had the respect of his 
subordinates, but they were disposed to 
think and decide for themselves when their 
privileges permitted. 

General Meade at Gettysburg exhibited 
high talents. He had coped successfully 
with General Lee, and given full play to the 



148 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

great fighting machine under him. It was 
a soldiers^ battle, led by a great soldier, one 
whose vigilance grasped every detail. Gen- 
eral Meade was always present as a com- 
mander at the critical point. After the 
battle he had fifty thousand men to pursue 
the forty thousand under Lee. Gettysburg 
had been a defensive struggle with us. 
General Lee in retreat took temporarily 
strong positions. Meade hesitated to attack 
in front, and was not able to hold and flank 
him. General Lee was a great commander 
and made an adroit retreat. General Meade 
had not the same prestige with us that Lee 
had gained in his army, and was practically 
obliged to defer to his corps commanders. 
Of these, the ablest. General Hancock, was 
absent wounded. 

General Meade's fame is secure. His 
modest, vigilant service, soundness of 
judgment and unfaltering courage and 
fidelity, will command the gratitude they 
deserve. 

The Union army's loss at Gettysburg was 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 149 

3072 killed, 14,497 wounded, 5434 missing. 
Total, 23,003. Confederates, 2572 killed, 
12,703 wounded, captured 5150. The num- 
ber of prisoners who were wounded was 
reported by General Meade's Medical 
Director as 6802. The Confederate losses 
were undoubtedly minimized in their re- 
ports. 

The prestige of their arms was impaired 
and the Army of the Potomac had found a 
competent leader whom it could safely 

trust. The Confederates regained the 
Virginia shore on the night of July 13, 

1863. 

Upon the 15th, the 5th Corps travelled 
twenty miles passing over the South Moun- 
tain. The heat was intense and the strag- 
gling during the day very great. One poor 
fellow by the roadside, in response to ap- 
peals of a friend, declared that he intended 
to wait until the army came around again. 
We crossed two ranges of steep mountains 
in Maryland in 1862, and climbed the South 
Mountain or range twice in 1863. On July 



150 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

i6tli, Berlin, Maryland, was our destina- 
tion, and duly reached. 

At Berlin, Maryland, July lytli, 1863, the 
Army of the Potomac crossed that river for 
the last time as an invading force. We 
advanced for several days without stirring 
incidents, and on the 23d, entered Manassas 
Gap. The road was rough but the scenery 
very beautiful. The infantry halted early in 
the afternoon to allow the batteries of light 
artillery to park, and care for their horses. 

This was an illustration of the fact that 
able bodied men can endure more than 
selected horses under similar conditions. 
The burdens of the infantry were greater in 
proportion to the strength of the men than 
those alloted the animals. Six horses were 
attached to a gun carriage and the same 
number to a caisson or ammunition truck. 
A cannon and its truck could not have 
weighed more than two tons, and the cais- 
son with its contents did not exceed the 
same limit. Each span or pair had a rider, 
and the gunners and helpers are supposed 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 



151 



to ride upon the gun carriages and caissons, 
but on marches when the horses were jaded 
nearly all would walk. When in camp the 
horses were carefully groomed, fed and 
watered. There were bugle calls for those 
purposes, and officers gave strict attention 
to their faithful performance. If the stay 
in camp promised to be prolonged for a few 
days, trees would be felled and shelters 
covered with boughs constructed. These 
would protect the horses from the sun and 
rain. Tarpaulins would also be used. 
Between movements of the army the work 
required from the stock was no more than 
that necessary for exercise. 

The infantry soldier carried a weight of 
at least thirty pounds and was generally on 
long campaigns insufficiently fed. At the 
end of a day's tramp he was fortunate to 
escape guard duty either camp or picket. 
After a night's rest they would have recu- 
perated and in prolonged campaigns would 
out- walk the Light Artillery and the horses 
of staff officers. 



152 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

The effort to bring on an engagement 
near the gap was futile. We camped 
August 8th, near Beverly Ford, and re- 
mained there nearly five weeks. I had 
gained in strength, and made a written 
request to be returned to my regiment, 
which was granted. 

I reported for duty very early in Septem- 
ber, and was assigned temporarily to the 
command of Company I. I considered that 
my proper place at that time was with the 
regiment. Danger, I realized, was insepa- 
rable from duty with the battalion on the 
firing line. But there is where cheerfulness 
reigns, and also the consciousness of doing 
the utmost for the cause. Distressing 
sights there pass quickly as a rule. The 
wounded are removed or the line, if moving, 
separates from them. In the ambulance 
work the scenes were depressing. The 
slightly wounded formed quite a portion of 
those relieved by it. But minie balls at 
low velocity comparatively speaking, shat- 
tered bones terribly, and the handling and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 153 

transportation of tlie men thus injured was 
a very painful task to me. The ambulance 
train was generally in the rear of the corps, 
and at times portions of it were separated 
from it. 

The old drivers had many interesting 
reminiscences to relate. One of them 
named Goodnow, I believe, of Company A, 
of the 22nd, was very faithful and observant. 
He said that on the retreat from Centreville 
to Chantilly, Va., after the Second Bull Run 
battle, he was preceded by a headquarters 
wagon driven by a colored man. His load 
was light and he could have taken in one or 
two wounded men without difficulty. A 
great many who were feeble asked him to 
help them, but were refused. General Phil 
Kearney, who was riding by, interfered, and 
ordered the driver to take on two of the 
unfortunate ; he refused offensively. The 
general who was one-armed, dropped his 
rein, drew his sabre and made a slash at the 
fellow that would have killed him if he had 
not ducked and run. He then told the 



154 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

wounded to take possession, and several of 
them did so. He was killed that day or the 
next, at Chantilly. 

The regiment passed through Culpepper 
Court House or village, September 17, 
1863, and encamped two miles beyond. 
We were about four miles from the Rapi- 
dan and pleasantly located. 

On October 3d, a sword was presented to 
Col. Tilton by the officers of the regiment, 
and I was induced to make the address by 
assurances that the attendance would be 
small. But I soon discovered that there 
would be a grand rally of the friends of the 
Colonel and of the regiment ; and nearly 
five hundred were present. The occasion 
was a memorable one, and I succeeded bet- 
ter in my first attempt at public speaking 
than I have been able to since. There was 
not much relaxation from our hardships, 
and occasions joyous in their nature were 
indeed welcome. 

Upon October loth, we advanced to Rac- 
coon Ford, on the Rapidan. It was here 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 155 

that Lafayette, in command of American 
troops, forded, when pursued by Cornwal- 
lis, in 1781. The nth and 12th corps were 
now detached and, under Gen. Hooker, 
formed the 20th Corps and were sent to 
Tennessee. They were needed to aid in 
retrieving the disaster inflicted upon our 
cause at Chickamauga. In this battle, 
Longstreet's corps, from Lee's army of 
Northern Virginia, achieved a brilliant suc- 
cess. Our western comrades were convinced 
that the troops we had fought were more 
formidable than those they had heretofore 
met. 

The campaign upon which we now en- 
tered was confined to efforts to engage at 
advantage, if possible. If baffled in that 
purpose, the enemy was to be prevented 
from detaching reinforcements to the West. 

Gen. Lee menaced our flank and rear, 
and we began to retreat on October nth 
and marched through Culpepper and halted 
near Beverly Ford, on the eastern side. 

On October 12th, at noon, the 2nd, 5th, 



156 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

and 6th Corps recrossed the Rappahannock 
and advanced in line. I was on the skir- 
mish line, 300 yards ahead, and had an ex- 
cellent view of the magnificent array. 
Brandy Plain is the largest open space in 
that part of Virginia. Many of the bat- 
talions were deployed, others were in 
column by company, with distance reserved 
to deploy on either flank. The alignment 
was perfect, and the numerous flags and 
guidons gave coloring and brilliancy to the 
scene. A large cavalry force was in our 
front. The supposition was that we were 
being followed in our retreat by a portion 
of Lee's infantry, which we might overtake 
and overwhelm. Our combined force of 
infantry and cavalry soon ascertained that 
this theory was erroneous. Lee was on our 
flank with practically his whole force. 

We halted at night, and at 3 A. M., on 
the 13th, moved to Beverly Ford and pre- 
pared breakfast, and then resumed our 
tramp for Catlett's Station and did not 
camp until after dark. The army was kept 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 157 

perfectly in hand, the trains moving par- 
allel to the infantry. Frequent short halts 
were made, and the sick aided by ambu- 
lances. 

The 14th we continued our march beside 
the railroad and halted at noon for dinner, 
near a small stream. The column had but 
fairly resumed its course when a rebel bat- 
tery opened fire upon us. We continued 
steadily on, as the Corps was ordered to in- 
tercept Lee, who was supposed to have 
ordered his army to concentrate at Manas- 
sas. Several men were struck in the 
brigade on our left. Finally a rifled battery 
went into position. My company filed in 
its rear just as its six pieces were discharged 
in a volley. I exchanged glances with 
Sergeant Mosher ; we expected to suffer 
from the return fire. 

Our boys must have had the range per- 
fectly, as the rebels were silenced, much to 
our satisfaction. We continued our move- 
ment. 

The 2nd Corps was attacked, but won a 



158 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

decided victory at Bristow, capturing five 
hundred of Hill's division and killing and 
wounding as many more. The 5th Corps 
was ordered to assist the 2nd Corps, and 
hastened to do so, but was not needed. 
We met the captured Confederates under 
guard. They did not seem particularly 
unhappy at their lot. We then began 
anew our march towards Bull Run and 
Centreville, and reached the latter place 
about four o'clock on the morning of the 
following day, October 15th. 

Gen. Sykeshas been censured unjustly for 
not returning without orders to Gen War- 
ren's aid. But Manassas and Centreville 
were supposed to be the storm centres, and 
he was ordered to hasten there. The attack 
upon Gen. Warren, then in command of the 
2nd Corps, was at first supposed to be triv- 
ial, and for the purpose of delaying concen- 
tration. 

At daybreak on the 15th we were rejoined 
by James T. Russell, a private of Co. I 
who had served in the British army, and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 159 

said he was in the Crimea ; and from his 
graphic account of his experience, this 
statement was credited. He fought nobly 
at Fredericksburg, but avoided battle when- 
ever possible. He had fallen out on the 
13th, making the plea of sickness. I was 
angry when he reported, and reproved him 
sharply, as I believed that he had been 
tricky. He claimed earnestly to have been 
very ill, and said : — 

" I would have lain down and died if the 
Rebs. had given me time." 

They were following the rear closely with 
a small force. He said he was arrested by 
the Provost Guard of the 2nd Corps, to- 
gether with some 200 other stragglers. 
They were put into the Bristow fight by 
General Hays of the 2nd Corps, who or- 
dered the guard to shoot every man who 
flinched. Russell was lost in admiration of 
Hays's bravery, as he remained mounted 
and cool under a fearful musketry fire. The 
stragglers fought like tigers. After the 
fight was over, he was put on duty as a 



160 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

guard over prisoners, and, when it became 
dark, unfixed his bayonet and sought his 
regiment. His story, which was narrated 
very forcibly, created much amusement. 
He was a veritable waif, and was warmly 
attached to his comrades. He had consid- 
erable money upon his person, and notified 
his friends that he had no relations, and 
that if he should fall, the first among them 
who should search his clothes would be his 
heir. He abjured them not to leave his 
money for the rebels. He survived the 
war. 

We camped near Fairfax Court House the 
afternoon of the 15th, and were soon snugly 
ensconced in the woods. But at 9 P. m., on 
the i6th, we were ordered out and marched 
for two hours, and halted in a field bare even 
of grass. A very cold rain was falling, and no 
wood could be found in the darkness. We 
suffered intensely. Lieutenant R. T. Bourne 
was my chum ; we lay down under the same 
blankets. I feared that he was fatally 
chilled, as he was thin-blooded ; but he ral- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 161 

lied in the morning. We bivouacked upon 
the second Bull Run battlefield on the 19th, 
and saw the grave of Col. Fletcher Web- 
ster of the i2th Mass. Volunteers. It was 
designated by an inscription upon a board, 
and attracted much attention. He was the 
son of Daniel Webster, the great orator 
and statesman. Many of the fallen were 
only partially interred. 

The army finally established its supply 
depots on the railroad near Warrenton 
Junction, and, on October 30th, the 5th 
Corps camped there. General Lee, in his 
retreat, had wrecked the railroad effectually 
for thirty miles ; all bridges were destroyed 
and the rails heated and bent. It was his 
object to prevent an advance by Meade, and 
he was so sure that his purpose had been 
accomplished, that his army was placed in 
winter quarters. 

The ford at Rappahannock Station, and 
also Kelly's Ford were strongly held, and at 
Rappahannock the left or east bank was 
occupied. This was for the purpose of se- 

12 



162 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

curing full control of the crossing should 
he desire to make a forward movement. 

Our resources as railroad builders had 
been rated erroneously. The bridges had 
been duplicated and stored in Alexandria, 
and, together with rails and necessary sup- 
plies, were available at once. The track 
was speedily replaced, and supplies accumu- 
lated. The problem of the transportation 
for a considerable distance of the food and 
other essentials for an army of 70,000 men 
and 30,000 horses and mules, is very seri- 
ous. The weight of these daily require- 
ments must be in excess of two hundred and 
fifty tons. 

Guard duty must be faithfully done. 
This is a fundamental principle in milita- 
ry regulations. It is diligently impressed 
upon all soldiers, and detailed instruction 
is carefully given recruits. Many enlisted 
men were thoroughly versed in the legal 
lore connected with the discharge of that 
duty under circumstances where discretion 
was admissible. The enlisted man when on 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 163 

post was often tempted to magnify his 
authority. Ordinarily he was a machine 
under a disciplin-e, often irksome. But on 
guard he was within broad limitations 
supreme, and he inwardly rejoiced thereat. 

The 5th Corps picket line at Warrenton 
Junction was duly established, and upon a 
certain tour of duty Lieut. M. M. Davis 
and I, were in charge of a portion of it. 
Lieut. Davis supervised the right and I the 
left half of our command. General Sykes, 
attended by two or three orderlies, had in a 
round of inspection gone outside of the line. 
He rode up to a picket guard in our right 
wing, and was halted. He wore a cavalry 
overcoat and displayed no insignia of rank. 
In complexion and general appearance his 
individuality was not marked, but I believe 
the guard knew him. He however insisted 
that he did not, and called the corporal of 
his relief. This officer was a very deter- 
mined veteran, thoroughly versed on all the 
points of guard duty. He also told the 
general courteously his instructions, and 



164 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

said that he did not recognize him. The 
general was impatient and humiliated, and 
replied, ''You must know your Corps Com- 
mander," and imprudently, and perhaps 
almost unconsciously, placed his hand on 
the hilt of his sabre. The corporal covered 
him with his musket, and in very pointed 
language said, that if an attempt was 
made to draw a weapon he would shoot. 
Lieut. Davis was then called. He saluted 
the general, who remarked that it was 
strange that he was not known by the guard. 
Lieut. Davis said he was sorry, but that they 
did their duty. General Sykes cheerfully 
assented. This incident made quite a stir 
in the division, and it was regarded as cred- 
itable to the regiment. There was no pur- 
pose to slight General Sykes, who was a 
very brave and capable officer. 

General Lee^s intelligence bureau must 
have failed him at this period, as he was 
evidently unaware that General Meade 
had accumulated rations sufficient for an 
advance. The campaign was begun on 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 165 

November 7, 1863, the 3rd, 5tli and 6th 
Corps being utilized. The 3rd Corps was 
directed to Kelly's Ford, and the 5th and 
6th to Rappahannock Station. The 5th 
Corps reached a point near its destination 
shortly after the noon hour. Delay ensued 
until 3 P. M., when we advanced into a 
plain which extended for a mile towards 
the river ; its breadth was nearly 900 yards. 
There was an abrupt elevation or mound 
near the river surmounted by a fort and 
other defences. A pontoon bridge made 
communication easy with the west bank, 
and a large force there of the Confederates. 
The plain was bounded on both sides by 
woods. The 5th Corps made a demonstra- 
tion in the field, with I do not know how 
many men, but I have a very clear recol- 
lection of the fact that our brigade was 
in the van. The 22nd Massachusetts was in 
line of battle, the correct method of facing 
the artillery, which began to oppose us. It 
was placed so high that its plane of fire did 
not sweep the field. We could only be 



16(3 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Struck when at or near the points where the 
shells came in contact with the earth, at an 
angle of about 20 degrees. We moved 
steadily on, the shells would strike in front 
and in our rear, but only seven of our num- 
ber were wounded. 

We were soon ordered to face about and 
wheeled to the right, in excellent align- 
ment, and were soon protected by the 
woods. The i8th Massachusetts advanced 
in column by company, and was a deeper 
and better target and suffered much more 
severely. The compact formation gives 
better control over inexperienced troops, 
but is unwise against artillery. One cannon 
ball may then cut down a dozen men. A 
battalion if deployed can, when near the 
enemy, maintain a musketry fire and still 
go forward. The i8th Massachusetts was 
capable of maintaining any formation in 
action. I believe Colonel Hayes was not in 
command of it during this engagement. 
Lieut. -Colonel Sherwin was in charge of 
the 22nd Massachusetts. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 167 

The 6th Corps advanced through the 
woods, and effected lodgment very near the 
front, and at dark carried it by storm. 
Those who endeavored to cross the pontoon 
bridge were nearly all intercepted. The 
prisoners numbered sixteen hundred, and 
at Kelly's Ford the 3rd Corps was fortunate 
also, and took three hundred of the foe. 

In this movement Meade clearly outgen- 
eraled lyce, who quickly fell back beyond 
the Rapidan. We were informed by the 
colored people of the vicinity during the 
following winter, that the Confederates 
were completely deceived by the cavalry 
that covered our operations. They were 
not enlightened until our infantry was upon 
them. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Mine Run Campaign. — Raid on train. — Lee's defences. — 
Trembling for fear we would not attack. — ^James Rich- 
ardson, his pride and courage. — General Lee's remark. 
— Lieut. Robert Davis. — Picket. — Chaplains. — Bax- 
ter's remarks. — Importance and abuses of religious 
branch of service. — Freeman. — Black Sam. — Tragedy 
atFants's. — OflBcers of 2nd Regulars.— Maryland. — 
The Cavalry vidette ambushed. — Assailant killed. — 
Sentence of death revoked by General Griffin. — What 
did the President say? — Confederates merciless to 
deserters. 

The Mine Run Campaign was entered 
upon November 24th, 1863, but a very 
severe storm soon rendered the roads im- 
passable, and we were compelled to halt 
and make a new temporary camp. The 
movement was resumed upon the 26th, and 
we crossed the Rapidan at Culpepper Ford. 
The brigade was followed on the 27th, by 
an ordnance and baggage train of about 
thirty teams, and at 11 A. m., we passed a 
country road which intersected our route 
at right angles. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 169 

Suddenly we heard a lively fusilade in 
our rear, and we hastened to the spot ; a 
detachment of rebel cavalry had made a raid 
upon the centre of the train. Several wag- 
ons had been headed up the road. We pur- 
sued and the captured teams were aban- 
doned, but first set on fire. The cartridges 
made a lively racket and we could not save 
any of them. The old joke about the cow- 
ard who boasted that during a great battle 
he was where bullets were thickest, under 
an ordnance wagon, came to our minds. 
The scamp would have found it hot enough 
under these volcanoes. 

General Meade was very angry at this 
mishap, and censured General Bartlett 
severely. A line of flankers was put out 
to protect the trains. This was composed 
of men in single or Indian file, five paces 
apart, marching about three hundred yards 
from the main column, on the side exposed 
to the enemy. If assailed their duty w^as 
to face the enemy and fight as skirmishers, 
giving opportunity for the main force to 



170 MUSKKT AND SWORD. 

form and come to their aid. General Bart- 
lett assumed that the cavalry had videttes 
npon the side roads. 

Early on the 29th, we confronted Lee's 
army at Mine Run. It occupied a wooded 
ridge parallel to that held by us. His posi- 
tion was elaborately fortified ; trees had 
been felled, with the tops towards us, and 
trimmed, forming an almost impenetrable 
abattis. The stream in the intervening 
valley in his front was narrow, but about 
four feet deep, with a steep bank on his 
side. The water was icy cold and it seemed 
to us that all who forded it and were subse- 
quently wounded would soon freeze. 

It was believed by the corps that a direct 
attack would be repulsed. The remark 
was current that General Lee was tremb- 
ling for fear we would not attempt to storm 
his position. 

General Warren with the 2nd Corps was 
endeavoring to turn the enemy's flank from 
our left and we were to co-operate with him, 
when ordered. At 2.30 P. m., company com- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 171 

manders were summoned to Lieut. -Colonel 
Sherwin, who stated that we would advance 
upon the Confederates in our front, when a 
signal gun was discharged, at 4 P. m. He 
ordered that blankets, haversacks and over- 
coats should be carefully piled by every 
company, and one man detached by each 
commander, as guard to protect his com- 
pany's baggage and rations. 

As I returned to my company, B, my 
original assignment, having been trans- 
ferred from I, after the action of the 
7th, when Captain Tucker, of E, was 
wounded, I resolved to leave for guard some 
very deserving man, and so informed Order- 
ly Sergeant Wenzel, and after a brief confer- 
ence we selected James Richardson, who had 
been twice wounded, and had a wife and 
four children in Roxbury, Mass. We were 
busy some moments in various preparations 
incidental to the attack, but my attention 
was soon attracted by Richardson, who was 
pacing a beat at support arms before his 
station. His whole bearing evidenced dis- 



172 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

comfiture and chagrin. I looked along the 
line and saw the reason. My colleagues 
with but one exception had adopted a theory 
contrary to mine, and chosen men who were 
servants or weaklings of some description. 
Our battalion was small, and its members 
knew each other in a general way. I went 
to Richardson, he saluted me formally but 
was seemingly offended. I explained our 
reasons for detailing him. His counte- 
nance brightened, and he rose to the occa- 
sion, saying that under the circumstances 
he was obliged for the consideration shown 
him, as his life was of value to his family, 
but that he would rather go forward and 
perish than be classed as inefficient in a 
desperate charge. He added that if the 
assault was made those who remained 
would be few, and would find him at his 
post dead or alive. 

There were true men in those days, and 
let us rejoice in the belief that the country 
will alway possess them in goodly numbers 
when needed. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 173 

The assault was not made. General War- 
ren found the Confederates impregnably 
entrenched, and would not take the respon- 
sibility of ordering a front attack. 

We moved a mile to the right and 
were massed in the woods all night. The 
weather became much colder, was supposed 
to be at temperature of zero. We were not 
allowed to have fires, and did not have space 
for exercise. The suffering from cold was 
very severe. 

It was the intention to attack in the 
morning from this position, but Lee^s line 
developed great strength, the result of per- 
sistent labor by his army. Offensive action 
was abandoned and retreat decided upon by 
General Meade. On December ist, we were 
quietly in motion at 6 p. m., leaving a picket 
line to be withdrawn several hours after. 
The teams had preceded us, and we were 
warned that the rations in haversacks must 
last until December 4th. Very few had 
more than one full day's food on hand. 

We crossed the Rapidan at Germania 



174 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Ford on the morning of December 2nd, at 4 
o'clock. The movement was executed in a 
skilful manner, and was a great surprise to 
the Confederates. Lieut. -Colonel Venable, 
of Lee's staff, states in ^' Battles and Lead- 
ers," Vol. 4, Page 240, that when General 
Lee was informed that Meade had recrossed 
the Rapidan, he exclaimed : 

"I am too old to command this army; 
we should have never permitted these peo- 
ple to get away." 

We were in Lee's front for four days. 
He did not attack us, but expected to fight 
a defensive battle in a very strong position, 
or catch us on the fords with our army 
divided. An outcry went up from the 
country against Meade, but he was upheld 
by the judgment of the army, and event- 
ually by the public. We could have lost 
from ten to fifteen thousand men without 
any compensation. The weather was so 
cold that the severely wounded would have 
perished before they could have been moved. 
It was considered in the army that dur- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 175 

ing the months of October and November, 
Meade had accomplished much with slight 
loss. 

Rations were not issued until the 3rd of 
December, and most of the infantry fasted 
for twenty-four hours. This included the 
company officers. The battery boys had 
facilities for carrying food on their caissons, 
and divided with their friends, but of course 
the great body of the troops could only 
tighten their belts and move on. 

We camped at Beverly Ford on the 4th, 
and prepared for the winter. I now received 
my commission as captain; it was dated 
August 27th, 1863. I had been first lieu- 
tenant since December, 1862. I was as 
captain assigned permanently to Company 
K, and appointed Andrew Wilson, orderly 
sergeant. My cabin faced the end of the 
street of my company, and was ten yards 
from it. My quarters were shared by ist 
Lieut. Marcus M. Davis, commanding Com- 
pany D, and the association was very pleas- 
ant for me. He was a very brave and con- 



176 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

scietitous officer, frank and courteous in 
manner and refined in thought and lan- 
guage. His brother, Benjamin Davis, was 
Captain of Company G. Both were pri- 
vates in Company K, of the 5th Massachu- 
setts Volunteer Militia in the three months 
campaign, and enlisted in Company B, of 
the 22nd. Benjamin, who was the elder, 
was appointed a sergeant, and Marcus a 
corporal. They more than deserved the 
commissions they received. Robert Davis, 
another brother, was in the 2nd Regular 
Infantry, having joined it before the war, 
and had risen from the ranks to a first lieu- 
tenantcy. His brilliant record, fine pres- 
ence and intelligence gave him prestige 
above his official rank. Through him we 
became familiar with the conditions exist- 
ing among the regulars. He said that at 
this time the company officers in our regi- 
ment averaged higher in general informa- 
tion and intellectual force than did those 
of his regiment. The regulars suffered 
from the selection of many of the ablest of 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 177 

their officers, for higli rank in the volun- 
teers. Other reasons were also influential in 
affecting the status of the company com- 
missioned officers of the regular army. I 
do not hesitate to say that in December, 
1863, the commissioned officers who were 
on duty with their companies in our regi- 
ment were of an excellent grade of abili- 
ty. They were devoted to duty and 
determined as a class, to rebuke factional 
spirit, and to deserve the respect, both of 
superiors and subordinates. They were, 
with but one exception, originally enlisted 
men in the regiment. 

We furnished large details for the picket 
line, protecting the camps and the railroad; 
about one-fourth of our number were con- 
stantly on that duty until the campaign of 
1864 opened. The detail was for a period 
of three days and a march of two miles was 
unavoidable before we could reach our main 
station or reserve near Freeman's house. 
The men would then go on duty, two thirds 
of the detachment would remain at the 

13 



^''■^ MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Station or bivouac as a reserve, and the 
remaining third go on post for two hours, 
and would then be relieved and rest at the 
station for four hours. The .5th Corps was 
not given much repose this winter, but was 
kept in good form by the practical work 
which was assigned it. 

The company commanders one Sunday 
forenoon in December, were summoned to 
headquarters and addressed by Lieut.-Col- 
onel Sherwin, who had been in command 
of the regiment for some months, while 
Colonel Tilton was in charge of the 
brigade. Lieut.-Colonel Sherwin alluded 
to the fact that the chaplaincy of the regi- 
ment had been vacant since the spring of 
1862, nearly two years. He added that 
Senator Wilson desired the approval of the 
selection of his pastor for our chaplain. 

The abuses and scandals that had arisen 
in connection with this branch of the ser- 
vice had become so notorious that the War 
Department had issued an order that no 
new chaplain should be mustered in or paid 



MUSKKT AND SWORD. 179 

unless his appointment had been approved 
by the company commanders of the regi- 
ment in which he wished to serve. The 
custom had been to commission, very often, 
those who had no standing in religious 
circles at home, and who had been, in 
many cases, ordained to the ministry for 
the purpose of being eligible to the coveted 
positions. This mercenary element would 
remain with the army in winter quarters, 
and discharge their nominal duties in a per- 
functory way. But when the fighting com- 
menced and they could render inestimable 
services in caring for the wounded in num- 
berless ways, they would resign, almost en 
masse. There were notable exceptions to 
this rule, and those who were faithful are 
remembered with profound respect and 
gratitude by those to whom they ministered 
and by the veterans who knew them. At 
least seventy-five per cent, of the chaplains 
commissioned during the first year of the 
war were practically unfit for their work. 
The Christian Church neglected, at this 



180 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

crisis a great opportunity to gain the af- 
fection of the young men of the nation. 
Those at the front were positive and ag- 
gressive in their convictions, and wielded a 
vast influence, during the war, at home. 
They could have been made witnesses for 
the result of earnest Christian work by 
chaplains, and given the Church prestige 
and leadership among elements where it 
has been feeble. The Christian commis- 
sion was very active, but in a circumscribed 
field. 

Lieutenant-Colonel Sherwin had the re- 
spect and affection of the company officers. 
He said that Rev. C. M. Tyler, the candi- 
date presented by Senator Wilson, was very 
eloquent and able, and that his motives 
were patriotic. He earnestly favored the 
endorsement of the senator's protege. Much 
to my surprise. Captain J. H. Baxter, for- 
merly sergeant in Company G, and who 
was a man of deep feeling but usually ret- 
icent, replied very happily, expressing the 
general sentiment. He said that our con- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 181 

test was largely financial, and that, wliile 
risking our lives and willing to die for the 
cause (as he did, June 3, 1864,) we disliked 
to see the resources of the country wasted. 
But that if a chaplain was zealous and able, 
and would stay during the active cam- 
paigns, he could be very helpful. He also 
said that if the applicant would join with 
that pledge of constancy, he would cheer- 
fully concur in the call. 

The new chaplain was very companion- 
able, and finely equipped mentally. He was 
waited upon by the company officers, and 
made welcome and assured of their co-oper- 
ation. He contributed much to the social 
and religious life of the regiment during 
the winter, and was a wise and kindly ad- 
viser to those who sought his counsel. He 
followed the army across the Rapidan and 
remained with it during the principal por- 
tion of the campaign, until his health 
failed. He stayed at the division hospital 
and was very efficient there. 

There were chaplains who would remain 



^82 MUSKKT AND SWORD. 

with their regiments as closely as the sur- 
geons, and would keep as near the firing- 
line, and in camp or bivouac were in touch 
with the troops and deep in their affections. 
The 1 1 8th Pennsylvania Volunteers and 4th 
and 1 6th Michigan were favored with re- 
ligious advisers of this stamp. 

The relations of the church to the army, 
so far as the service rendered by chaplains 
is concerned, have not, to my knowledge, 
been discussed for the information of the 
public, although the topic of free com- 
ment among veterans. The truth should 
be known, and adequate remedies applied 
where needed. The duties assigned chap- 
lains should be clearly defined, and faithful 
performance of them exacted. Every effort 
should be made to preserve and elevate the 
moral tone of the army, and those who have 
deep religious convictions should have the 
consolation and aid that can be imparted by 
clergymen whose ability and worth com- 
mand respect. The sick and wounded re- 
quire services that ordinary attendants 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 1^3 

cannot often give. A chaplain can write 
letters for the unfortunate, and, in case of 
death, can communicate the sad news in a 
proper manner to the relatives of the de- 
ceased. He can also take charge of the 
effects of the dead and transmit them to 
those entitled to receive them. A chaplain 
who takes part in personal quarrels, or aban- 
dons his charge on trivial pretexts, should 
be dismissed from the service. He should 
be loyal to the government and to his regi- 
ment. He should be willing to take the 
same risks under lire as a surgeon. Undue 
susceptibility to "cannon fever" ought to be 
regarded as a disqualification. 

When it became my turn to take a tour 
of duty for three days, upon the picket line, 
I found the situation quite interesting. Our 
reserve was in the woods near Freeman's. 
The weather was intensely cold, but by 
building fires in front of our shelter-tents, 
and sleeping fully clothed and using many 
blankets, we were comfortable. The com- 
missioned officers in charge of the line were 



184 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

obliged to be very vigilant and respond to 
every alarm. We generally inspected the 
outposts every night and found the men 
alert ; our veterans were very wary and did 
not underrate the wily foe. 

Mr. Freeman and his wife were quite old 
and feeble. She was a gentle and cultured 
woman and was very much her husband's 
superior. He had very little general infor- 
mation. He simply knew that he was a 
true Virginian. He remarked to me, that 
if he were where he could not see the Blue 
Ridge he would die. It loomed up in the 
distance grandly, and his appreciation of its 
beauty elevated him in our opinion. His 
passionate love of the soil was unmistak- 
able. Two grown children, a son and 
daughter, all they had, were absent. The 
daughter had been passed through our 
lines to relatives further south, and Mrs. 
Freeman was very grateful for the kindness 
shown by our officers in the matter. 

A negro, intensely black, named Sam, re- 
mained with them. He was very industri- 



MUSKKT AND SWORD. 185 

ous and attentive to the family. He was 
bitter in his allusions to Freeman, and 
showed a plank by a cabin fire which had 
been his bed for years. He was devoted, 
however, to Mrs. Freeman and her daughter, 
and boasted extravagantly of their superior 
gentility. When asked why he remained, 
he said that they would starve if he aban- 
doned them, and that he made a little crop 
and cared for the stock and did the chores. 
It was evident that he was attached to the 
family as a whole, and had some latent re- 
gard even for Freeman. 

There was, on the premises, a cabin oc- 
cupied by a mulatto family which at one 
time was held in slavery by a brother of 
Mrs. Freeman. An old man, who was a 
member of it, related to me very graphical- 
ly an incident that happened during the 
summer of 1862. The Fants's homestead 
was very near the Freeman place. The 
family was aristocratic and refined. The 
ladies only remained at home, the men be- 
ing in the Confederate army. A regiment 



186 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

of New York cavalry, at tlie time referred 
to, was located in the vicinity to guard the 
fords. The officers were courteously enter- 
tained by the family, and the civilities were 
reciprocated in practical ways. The Fants's 
property was protected ; even the fences 
were spared. The widow Lee also resided 
in the neighborhood ; her son was like the 
Fants's, in the service of the enemy. My 
informant said that on one forenoon he met, 
near Freeman's, about one dozen rebel cav- 
alry, headed by Lee, whom he had known 
from infancy. He beckoned for them to 
stop, which they did. Lee said, "Henry, 
what do you want?" The reply was, 
"Where are you going?" Lee answered, "To 
Fants's." Henry then informed him that 
the Yankees were there, and advised him to 
return across the river as quickly as pos- 
sible. Lee declared that he would go where 
he had intended, and that the Yankees must 
look out. Leaving his men secreted, Lee 
rode boldly to the Fants residence and, 
throwing the reins over a fence-post, en- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 1^' 

tered the house suddenly, revolver in hand. 
A lieutenant of the New Yorkers was in the 
parlor conversing with Mrs. Fants and 
daughters. Lee covered him with his 
weapon, and told him to surrender. The 
lieutenant remarked calmly that he was 
surprised, and quickly pulled a pistol from 
his boot and fired, killing Lee, and ran 
from the house. He threw himself upon 
Lee's horse and galloped at headlong speed 
towards his regiment, a detachment of 
which was, as customary when on picket 
duty, ready to move at an instant's warn- 
ing. It saw the Lieutenant approaching, 
and that he was bare-headed, and hastened 
to meet him, and pushing on, captured or 
killed nearly all of Lee's band. The colonel 
of the regiment told Mrs. Fants that the 
family was blameless, and that Lee had 
shown her very little consideration. He 
said that if his lieutenant had been injured 
or captured, that collusion would have been 
taken for granted and her property de- 
stroyed. The offense would have been re- 



188 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

garded as aggravated by ingratitude, as the 
protection and aid furnished had been liber- 
al and opportune. 

I do not believe that the southern women, 
who, as a class, were bitterly opposed to 
us, were guilty, ever, of inveigling Union 
officers and men into the acceptance of hos- 
pitality, with their capture in view. But 
they were in some instances compromised 
by reckless men like young Lee. The in- 
habitants within the Union lines were, dur- 
ing this winter, furnished rations when 
needed, by the government. I believe some 
form of oath was required, but enough 
would take it to supply those who declined, 
with food. The distance from Alexandria 
to Culpepper was over sixty miles ; so the gov- 
ernment had many dependent upon it. This 
policy was undoubtedly wise and beneficent. 

During the winter an event occurred af- 
fecting the 2nd Regular Infantry that created 
much excitement throughout the 5th Corps. 
This battalion was in the 2nd Division of 
that organization, and was on our left 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 189 

towards Alexandria. The officers of this 
noble regiment had become familiar with 
their environment, and some of them formed 
the habit of venturing beyond the picket 
line, and made some pleasant acquaintances. 
In February, 1864, a party of about six was 
quietly made up to visit an estimable family 
where they were on good footing. When 
near the home of their friends they were 
ambushed. Lieut. McKee was killed, others 
were wounded, and two or three escaped 
unscathed. A force was sent to the neigh- 
borhood to search it. It was discovered 
that McKee's body had been brought to the 
residence of his friends and laid out. They 
had caused their servants to give it this 
care, and were in deep distress. The assail- 
ants had stripped the remains, taking even 
the underclothing. Lieut. McKee was a 
handsome man, and finely dressed for the 
occasion, and had a watch and also consider- 
able money. He was buried with military 
honors, the others were court-martialed for 
going beyond the picket. 



190 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

A month later a cavalry vidette was shot 
at from covert and wounded badly. He 
was self-possessed and brave and feigned 
death, quickly, however, cocking his revol- 
ver. The assailant, eager for plunder and 
desiring to avoid further noise, rushed for- 
ward to rob his victim who fired at the 
rieht instant and killed him. The shots 
were heard and aid was soon at hand. The 
would-be assassin had on his person, cloth- 
ing and other property belonging to Lieut. 
McKee, and was recognized as a frequenter 
of the camps of the division. Scoundrels of 
this type were simply murderers and would 
not fight in the ranks for any cause. 

I was detailed in January, for duty on a 
General Court-martial, of which Colonel 
Gwynne, of the ii8th Pennsylvania Volun- 
teers, was President. At one of the sessions 
he remarked that he had just received an 
order transmitted through the regular chan- 
nels from the War Department. It directed 
him to send a certain private of his regiment 
who had been sentenced to be shot for deser- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. U) 1 

tion, to Washington. His sentence it was 
stated had been commuted to confinement at 
the Dry Tortugas. The colonel replied that 
the man had been released while on the march 
to Gettysburg by General Charles Griffin, in 
command of the division, and restored to 
duty in the ranks, and had served with 
great bravery ever since. I recollected 
seeing the ambulance containing the pris- 
oner escorted by a detail from the Provost 
Guard on June i6th, 1863, while the 
division was going into position to deliver 
battle near Manassas, Va., if it should be 
necessary. General Griffin had a kind heart 
disguised by a brusque and sarcastic manner 
when he chose to assume it, and probably 
knew something about the case favorable to 
the prisoner. He disliked heartily the pres- 
sence of useless vehicles near the front. 
The ambulance conveying the prisoner was 
with the troops and in the way. 

It seems the general demanded why it 
was there, and was informed by the guard, 
that it was occupied by a prisoner whose ex- 



192 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ecution should have taken place as ordered 
several days before. Continuing his inves- 
tigation he asked the reason why the order 
was not obeyed. The explanation was given 
that the army was in motion, and detailed 
orders had not been received from corps head- 
quarters. The general then said, " Bring 
him out,'* and was quickly obeyed. He 
then remarked to the prisoner : '' You are 
a fine looking fellow," and said to those 
near him, that it was a shame for us to 
shoot each other when the rebels were so 
willing to save us the trouble. He then 
asked the man if he would serve faithfully 
if sent back to his regiment. He promised 
fervently to do so. The general then ad- 
monished him to be true to his pledge. He 
then ordered the captain of the guard to 
deliver the now fortunate man to the colo- 
nel of his regiment with instructions to put 
him on duty, giving the general as his 
authority. The President alone had the 
right to pardon the offender or commute 
the sentence. What President Lincoln said 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 193 

must have been interesting. It was not 
supposed that he was seriously displeased. 
If General Griffin was censured his standing 
was not affected. He was a West Pointer 
with the breezy ways of a western volun- 
teer. The soldier whom he pardoned was, 
of course, undisturbed. 

President Lincoln was loath to sanction 
executions for desertion, and would com- 
mute sentences unless when it was absolute- 
ly necessary to preserve discipline and check 
bounty jumpers. The Confederate govern- 
ment was understood to be merciless towards 
deserters, who were mostly conscripts, torn 
from their homes. If General Griffin had 
been in the Confederate service, and had 
interfered with the prerogatives of Jefferson 
Davis, he would have had grave trouble. 
That leader was of a narrow type in many 
respects. His jealous disposition demanded 
subserviency, and elevated many unfit men 
to important commands relegating to the 
rear commanders like Generals Joe Johnston 
and Beauregard. 

14 



CHAPTER VII. 

Outlook for 1864. — General Grant in command. — Defen- 
sive Campaign of Confederates. — Possibilities of its 
success. — Exhaustion and division in the North. — Get- 
tysburg not decisive.— European sentiment. — Ulysses 
or Useless.— Condition of Union Army. — Cavalry. — 
Artillery. — Infantry. — Confederate Army. — Infantry 
superb. — Simplicity of Tactics. — Wilderness. — May 
5th and 6th. — Lamos and Gilligan. — Grant and Meade 
when informed of break in 6th Corps. — Grant's de- 
cision to persist the turning point. — Fight of Picket 
detail. — Flag of Alabama regiment captured. — "Never 
mind, I suppose you had to do it." — Death of Captain 
Davis. 

The outlook for the Union arms during 
the approaching campaign, was exhaustively 
discussed by the troops, during the winter 
of 1863-4. ^^^ appointment of General U. 
S. Grant to the command of all the armies 
with almost unrestricted authority, gave 
general satisfaction, especially when it was 
known that he intended to identify his for- 
tunes with those of the Army of the Poto- 
mac. It was believed that undue consider- 



1 MUSKET AND SWORD. 195 

ation * 

Natk\ would not be given to the safety of the 
jus.^nal Capitol. 

^The various plans for the capture of 
Richmond, and the annihilation of the power 
of the Confederates in Virginia, were dili- 
gently canvassed. But the opinion that 
Lee's army should be the objective point 
was accepted by the majority. It was real- 
ized that in the past we had not made sub- 
stantial progress, in the conquest of Eastern 
Virginia. The campaigns of Antietam and 
Gettysburg were decisive only as proving 
that the foe could not invade the North 
successfully, but did not demonstrate that 
they could not wage a defensive war in 
Virginia, that would exhaust our resources. 
If the Confederate government had adopted 
a purely defensive policy in the east, so 
far as military operations were concerned, 
retaining with their colors the men lost in 
the two campaigns of Antietam and Get- 
tysburg, the result of the war might have 
been different. 

The people of the North were not united. 



196 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

at least forty per cent, favored great co ^^^^' 
sions to secure peace, and very many actJ^^^" 
ly sympathized with the enemy, and ham- 
pered the prosecution of the war in various 
ways, that were very effective. 

The national credit was at a low ebb, our 
bonds in I^ondon and Paris ranked with 
those of the Confederacy. In Germany, 
however, we received a strong moral and 
financial support that was of great value. 
France was committed in Mexico to a pro- 
ject which was threatened by the success of 
the Union, and was eager to join with Great 
Britain in formal recognition of the inde- 
pendance of the Confederacy. The Euro- 
pean situation was understood in the South 
and gave much encouragement to the Con- 
federates, and grave anxiety to the leaders 
of our government. 

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 1863, 
the disbursements from the national treas- 
ury were $582,000,000, in excess of the 
receipts from the ordinary taxes, custom 
and internal revenue. Besides this the 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 197 

local burdens assumed by states and muni- 
cipalties in aid of tbe cause were very oner- 
ous. Offensive warfare cannot be waged 
without immense expenditures, and our 
financial condition was such that early 
success in the field seemed indispensably 
necessary for our cause. There existed in 
our army a high degree of intelligence, 
relative to the political and military situa- 
tion. It was kept by the mail in close 
touch with home opinions and military 
movements in other sections. By personal 
observation we were familiar with the 
difiiculties confronting us south of the 
Rapidan. 

General U. S. Grant joined the Army 
of the Potomac, March loth, 1864, and it 
was announced that General Meade would 
remain in immediate command under the 
general direction of Grant. No review was 
ordered, but actual preparations for the 
death grapple with Lee were in evidence. 
It was believed that the army would be 
directed effectively, and as a unit, and that 



198 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

its energies as a fighting organization would 
be fully utilized. A hopeful spirit pre- 
vailed, but it was not demonstrative. The 
fact that General Grant was simple and 
unaffected in his manners and easily acces- 
sible was gratifying. It indicated cool 
judgment and mental equipoise, and aug- 
mented the confidence of the thoughtful. 
He was very reticent, no glowing forecasts 
emanated from him. I heard an officer 
remark that he was pleased with the meth- 
ods of Grant, but events would soon decide 
whether his name was Ulysses or Useless. 

The I St and 5th Corps were now con- 
solidated and known as the 5th Corps, and 
the command given to General G. K. War- 
ren. This was regarded as wise, as he had 
shown great ability at Gettysburg, Bristow 
and Mine Run, but we regretted to lose 
General Sykes, who if not brilliant, was 
vigilant and brave. General Warren dur- 
ing the summer of 1864, seemed overbur- 
dened by the responsibilities of his position. 
His personal activity was remarkable, he 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 199 

endeavored to inspect the lines where con- 
ditions were serious, and exposed himself 
unsparingly. His great services and noble 
character will always be revered by the 
students of our military history, and I hope 
by the people at large. 

The Army of the Potomac was at this 
time very strong in its cavalry and artillery, 
led respectively by Generals Sheridan and 
Hunt, both unexcelled in their spheres. 
The field artillery, about ten six-gun bat- 
teries to each corps, was mainly of smooth 
bore brass pieces, which at a range of four 
hundred yards or less were quite accurate. 
At close quarters they were much better 
adapted for grape and canister than rifled 
field guns. 

Service in the artillery was not so exact- 
ing as in the infantry ; the men could gener- 
ally ride, and also have their rations and 
clothing carried upon the caissons. The 
care of horses was quite a task, but was 
more than compensated for by exemption 
from picket duty. The complement of men 



200 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

prescribed by the regulations was necessary 
to work the guns in action, and if recruits 
were not received men were transferred from 
tbe infantry. Our artillery was as a whole 
superior to that of I^ee's army, although 
some of his batteries were very fine. The 
Union artillery inherited the traditions of 
the regular army, in which it had been 
raised to an unsurpassed standard of effi- 
ciency. The Confederates had excellent 
field pieces and ammunition. Their inferi- 
ority was in skill and persistency when 
opposed gun for gun to our batteries. 

Our infantry was far from uniform in 
its composition. The old battalions were 
superb, even when they included as high a 
proportion of recruits and conscripts as one- 
fourth. But there were too many new regi- 
ments with inexperienced officers, and when 
in battle if they faltered or gave way, they 
would expose staunch battalions to flank 
attacks. As a whole our infantry was not 
in average merit equal to that under General 
Hooker in the Chancellorsville campaign. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 201 

The two years men had been mustered 
out, and the great losses at Gettysburg had 
occurred among our best troops. The nth 
and 1 2th Corps had been transferred to the 
West, where they had been formed into the 
20th Corps, and nobly represented the Army 
of the Potomac at Lookout Mountain and 
in Sherman's Atlanta campaign. The 
inflexible resolution of the veteran organi- 
zations was a great factor in the relentless 
warfare upon which we were about to enter. 
" Stern to inflict and stubborn to endure," 
they wished for a decisive campaign. 

The infantry of the regular army had 
been sadly diminished in the campaigns of 
1862. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and loth 
Regiments suffered heavily at Gaines Mills,, 
and of these battalions the 2nd Infantry 
now remained with the army under Meade* 
It was associated with other regular infantry 
battalions raised since the war. 

In St. Louis I became acquainted with a 
man named John Will, a sturdy German, who 
was conservative and reliable in his state- 



202 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ments. He served in the 2nd Regular Infant- 
ry, before and during the war, and stated that 
when the rebellion began, the commanding 
officer had the regiment which was then in 
the West paraded, and he then invited all 
who were not heartily for the Union to 
ask for their honorable discharge from the 
service. Will said he had a chum from the 
South, who remained steadfast, but said 
privately that he was much disturbed by 
the situation, as he sympathized somewhat 
with his section. He added that the regi- 
ment was his home, and that he could not 
decide to abandon it. In the first engage- 
ment he kept his place in the ranks faith- 
fully, but did not fire, and when censured, 
said that he could not at the time overcome 
his innate aversion to firing upon men from 
his former home. He also stated that he 
was now convinced that they were in the 
wrong, and that as many of his comrades 
had fallen, he would henceforth fight ear- 
nestly for the cause and the honor of the 
regiment. He kept his promise faithfully. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 203 

Lieut. Robert Davis of tlie 2nd Regular 
Infantry, said tliat when on the plains 
before the war, the enlisted men of that 
regiment would look forward eagerly to the 
date of their discharge, and take formal 
leave of their friends, but generally found 
that the world was changed, that old friends 
were gone or had become indifferent, and 
saddened by disappointment they would in 
most instances return to their colors within 
the time limit. This gave them the privi- 
lege of re-enlisting with increased pay. 
Soldiers of this type would fight fiercely 
for the reputation of their organizations 
even when the day was lost. This senti- 
ment characterized the veteran and volun- 
teer battalions, their service had been comp- 
paratively brief, but very eventful, and at- 
tachments to leaders and comrades became 
fervent. 

The regular army was without local 
origin or support, and those of its mem- 
bership in the civil war are entitled to the 
commendations of all citizens of the Union. 



204 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Great Britain now raises its regular forces by 
shires or counties, thus giving them moral 
support and home recognition of great 
utility. 

The army of Northern Virginia was in- 
ferior in numbers to that of the Potomac, 
but was led by General Lee with remark- 
able energy and consummate skill. The 
commissioned oflScers in the Confederate 
army were animated by the aristocratic 
spirit that was inseparable from the insti- 
tution of slavery. As a class they fought 
not only for independence but for the privi- 
leges of their caste. Their leadership was 
at all times unreserved in its devotion, 
and in battle was indomitable and intelli- 
gent, seizing quickly every favorable chance 
to gain an advantage for the Confederate 
cause. 

The Southern cavalry was outnumbered 
by ours, but was excellent and very ably 
commanded by experienced oflScers. The 
infantry was superb and of uniform merit, 
and never failed to do all that was possible 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 205 

for human effort to accomplisli. It was not*- 
better than our seasoned battalions, but 
their lines had no weak points. This im- 
parted confidence and stability to their for- 
mation when under fire. Their battalions 
were very well trained ; the facility with 
which they would form a solid line of bat- 
tle when emerging from dense woods was 
surprising to us. 

Their tactics were very simple and prac- 
tical. To form a line of battle in two 
ranks, and keep the formation fairly well 
while marching, is an art that can only be 
acquired by constant practice. But when a 
regiment has been thoroughly trained and 
has become proficient in the movement it 
easily retains its aptitude, and executes the 
evolution seemingly without effort. The 
men then keep the proper step and touch, 
as if guided by an instinctive impulse. 

Early in April the 22nd Massachusetts 
Volunteers, 2nd Massachusetts sharpshooters 
attached, were transferred from the ist to 
the 2nd Brigade, ist Divison, 5th Corps. 



206 MIUSKET AND SWORD. 

'TTne 2nd Brigade then consisted of the 9th, 
22nd and 32nd Massachusetts Volunteers, 
4th Michigan Volunteers and 62nd Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteers. Colonel W. S. Tilton, 
who had been in command of the ist Brigade 
for several months, now rejoined the regi- 
ment. 

Upon May ist, 1864, the campaign com- 
menced, and we left our camp and bivou- 
acked four miles beyond Rappahannock 
Station. I^ate on the afternoon of the 3rd, 
we moved to Culpepper, six miles distant, 
and halted until i a. m., on the 4th. We 
then resumed our course reaching Germania 
Ford at 8 A. M., and then crossed the Rapi- 
dan upon a pontoon bridge, and stopped an 
hour for breakfast. The column then pro- 
ceeded by the Germania plank road to its 
junction with the Orange Turnpike, and 
thence deflecting to the right to Lacy's 
house, arrived there at 3 p. m. This march 
from Culpepper was for twenty-one miles, 
and as several hours were in the night, and 
no straggling was permitted, it was very 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 207 

creditable to the Corps. It was prepared to 
deliver battle at any moment after leaving 
the ford. 

The headquarters of the army were at 
Lacy's ; the weather was delightful and 
after arms were stacked I strolled into the 
field and viewed the busy scene near head- 
quarters. Serene peace prevailed, the enemy 
had not been heard from, our advance had 
been so sudden that it was undisputed that 
day. It was dijfficult to realize that we 
were on the verge of the most sanguinary 
series of conflicts in our history. We were 
confident that we would be able to interpose 
between I^ee and Richmond, and intercept 
his communications and fight on the defen- 
sive with portions of our army alternately, 
and steadily approach that city and occupy 
it and then take the offensive. Considera- 
ble time was required to bring our trains over 
the fords, and to mass the 9th Corps which 
had been stationed temporarily along the 
railroad. 

If General Lee had hesitated for twenty- 



208 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

four hours lie would have been placed at 
great disadvantage. But when our move- 
ments were known, he put his columns in 
motion to strike us in the flank, before we 
could go into position. The location was 
well adapted for the success of his infantry, 
as it was nearly covered with dense woods 
and thickets, and his officers knew every 
Toad and path. 

On May 5th, we were very quiet until 10 
A.M.; other portions of the corps may have 
been moved very early. It was announced 
that our cavalry reported that Lee was 
advancing with his infantry, evidently with 
the intention of attacking us. We took 
arms and moved quickly forward, and to 
the right, and the brigade was ordered to 
entrench with logs and earth. The pioneer 
detail of the regiment, about twenty men, 
had axes, shovels and hatchets. 

The orderly sergeant of my company, 
Andrew Wilson, objected, saying that he 
did not believe in cover, and that we should 
fight without it, relying upon our fire to 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 209 

protect us, and cited Gettysburg as an 
example to be followed. I was obliged to 
speak sharply to him enjoining obedience. 
Sergeant Wilson was twenty years of age, 
small in stature, being 5 feet 4 inches only in 
height, and of slight build, about no pounds 
in weight. His hair was dark, and when 
excited his countenance glowed with en- 
ergy. His bearing then was the personifi- 
cation of recklessness and determination, 
he seemed to exult in the risks of battle 
and inspired others with the same spirit. 
He was very proud of his promotion and 
was eager to distinguish himself. I appre- 
ciated his nobility of character, and loved 
him as a brother. 

When we had completed our breastwork 
the division was ordered to the right, cross- 
ing the Orange Turnpike with a portion of 
its column, which included the 22nd Mas- 
sachusetts. We halted near the road for a 
few moments. The skirmishers who were 
unhurt and those who were only slightly 
wounded came in, Elbridge Perry was killed 

15 



210 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

and Charles Lamos wounded ; both were of 
my company. Lamos was assisted to the 
rear of the regiment. Hugh Gilligan, his 
chum, spoke to him very kindly ; both were 
boys not over twenty-one years old. He asked 
Lamos if he had any money. He replied 
that he had sent all he had to his widowed 
mother. Gilligan then remarked that he 
would find it useful even in a hospital, and 
taking a goodly roll from his pocket gave 
his friend thirty dollars. He had over two 
hundred dollars remaining, and it was sup- 
posed that his funds were the outcome of 
efforts that were made by benighted mem- 
bers of the 1 1 8th Pennsylvania Volunteers 
to teach our guileless comrade the mys- 
teries of the game of poker. This incident 
illustrates the fraternal spirit that existed 
among comrades at the front. Hugh Gilli- 
gan was a fine soldier and I shall have occa- 
sion to mention him again. 

We soon pushed forward to the edge of a 
field. Our colors were displayed on the turn- 
pike, and the action was very sharp for half 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 211 

an hour. Two men were killed and the same 
number wounded in my company, K. 

On May 6tli we were in position all day 
on the left of the turnpike, under a heavy 
fire, expecting to be hotly engaged at any 
moment. Shortly before sunset, heavy 
musketry firing was heard on our right, on 
the line of the 6th Corps. It gradually re- 
ceded towards our rear, and it was appar- 
ent that some misfortune had happened. 
We were intensely interested, and awaited 
orders impatiently. Lieut. Bourne voiced 
the general sentiment when he said to me: — 

'' We will stop them, or die !'^ 

Shaler's brigade had yielded to a sudden 
flank attack, and the security of the trains 
was menaced. We faced to the right and 
pushed steadily towards the gap or break. 
At least one-half of the 5th Corps was in 
the movement and forced its way through 
disorganized masses towards the scene of 
the conflict. The assailants were disor- 
dered by their success, and before they 
could prepare to profit by it were driven 



212 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

back, cliiefly by tbe 6tli Corps. The 
promptness and solidity witb whicli the 5th 
Corps came to tbe support of tbose closely 
engaged in tbe restoration of our line, was 
however an important factor. 

Captain George H. Teague, formerly of 
the ist Massachusetts Cavalry, resided in 
St. L/Ouis, in 1868, where I fortunately made 
his acquaintance. He informed me that 
during the campaign of 1864, he was with 
his company on duty at army headquar- 
ters, and that on May 6th he was with the 
6th Corps when its line was broken as de- 
scribed. He understood the gravity of the 
situation and rode at full speed to head- 
quarters. Generals Grant and Meade were 
standing in front of the adjutant-general's 
tent listening to the firing ; its location was 
at this point not clearly perceptible. With- 
out dismounting, the captain saluted and 
said that the 6th Corps's line was broken. 
General Meade replied with heat, denying 
it. The captain then said : — 

" General, I saw it !" 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 213 

General Meade regained his self-posses- 
sion, and courteously begged pardon and 
asked for details. General Grant heard the 
conversation, but was impassive. Both 
commanders immediately mounted, and 
staff-officers were soon hurrying with in- 
structions that repaired the mischief. 

During the 7th, our position was changed 
slightly, and we were behind intrenchments. 
The rebels were similarly protected, two 
hundred yards in our front. An attack was 
made upon our division early in the morn" 
ing, and was repulsed, with heavy loss in- 
flicted by our artillery, for which a good 
position had been found for the first time in 
this campaign. 

General Grant had failed in the attempt 
to flank I^ee, who had also been baffled, as 
he expected to defeat us in the Wilderness, 
the labyrinths of which were adapted by 
nature for the successful manoeuvring of 
his infantry. It is possible that criticisms 
made relative to General Lee's disposition 
of his army prior to our crossing may be en- 



214 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

titled to some consideration, and that he 
might have been able to first assail ns on 
the 4th of May instead of the 5th. He 
could not foresee that General Grant would 
abandon the railroad and attack from his 
left flank, relying upon the water-courses 
for his supplies. The conception of assail- 
ing us in the Wilderness, before we were 
ready to advance, and where cavalry and ar- 
tillery were at disadvantage, was brilliant 
and justified by the character of his infan- 
try. I saw, during the day, a line of skir- 
mishers from the regulars advance under 
Captain H. W. Keys, formerly Major of the 
5th Mass. Vol. Militia, in the three months 
service. I had not seen him since then. 
His complexion was clear, and his radiant 
countenance and gallant bearing very notice- 
able. He very unwisely wore a dress-coat 
and sash. He lost his life within a week. 
Towards evening, the defiant cries of the 
Confederates in our front awoke the echoes, 
and our men responded with ringing 
cheers ; both sides wished to be attacked. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 215 

The indecisive conflicts since our arrival in 
the Wilderness seemed to have intensified 
the zeal of the combatants, and all were 
hopeful of ultimate success. The losses 
had been very grave ; but the burning of 
the wounded of the 2nd Corps, by the ig- 
nition of the woods, made a profound sensa- 
tion throughout the army. 

Some phases of war make Sherman's def- 
inition of it almost a libel upon the infernal 
regions. 

At dusk, a detail for picket duty of near- 
ly one hundred men was made from our 
regiment, and commanded by Captain 
Field, assisted by Captain Ben. Davis, Lieu- 
tenants Bourne, Ackerman, and by me. 
Our posts were very near those of the ene- 
my, but there was no collision. At 4 A. m. 
on the 8th, we were called in, and found 
that our division had gone. We could only 
surmise its destination, but feared that it 
was across the Rapidan. 

The picket from the division was com- 
manded by a field-officer of the ii8th Penn- 



216 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

sylvania ; Major O'Neil, I believe, was the 
name. We followed the 3rd, or Crawford's 
Division, of our Corps, expecting to soon 
rejoin our respective battalions. The rising 
sun gave us our bearings, and murmurs of 
approval swept along our column as we saw 
our course was southerly. 

General Hooker declared, before the 
Chancellorsville campaign, that he would 
fight as long as a battalion would hold to- 
gether, yet he withdrew, having failed to 
use effectively a large portion of his fine 
army. Grant and Meade had placed on the 
firing-line all troops at their disposal, and 
we feared that retreat would be the result of 
our dire and inconclusive struggle. The de- 
termination of General Grant to persevere 
was, I believe, the most important act in 
his career, as the result of the war depend- 
ed upon his wisdom at this crisis. If he 
had retreated, there can be but little doubt 
that Johnston would have been strengthened 
sufficiently to have bafiied General Sher- 
man, and the concerted movement to crush 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 217 

the Confederacy would have practically col- 
lapsed. This would probably have given 
political supremacy to the element which 
believed the war to be a failure, and defeat- 
ed the re-election of President Lincoln. 

No special effort was made to return the 
picket detail to our division, and we be- 
lieved that General Crawford did not regard 
our separation from our colors as of much 
importance. This was exasperating, and 
stimulated our pride. 

Our march was interrupted by frequent 
stops and continued until i p. m., when we 
halted on elevated ground, in the woods, 
and stacked arms. Soon after 4 p. m., signs 
of a movement were evident. The Penn- 
sylvania Reserves, comprising Crawford's 
Division, were in motion, and formed line 
for an advance. These gallant troops pre- 
sented an imposing spectacle. They were 
alert and almost noiseless in their ma- 
noeuvres. Orders were given in low tones, 
and it seemed to be the purpose to surprise 
the enemy, if possible. 



218 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

THe picket detail, or provisional battal- 
ion, was formed in line of battle, in tbe rear 
of Crawford's men. Despite tbe ominous 
preparations, the situation, so far as we 
were concerned, provoked some witticisms 
among us. The last line is usually sup- 
posed to be of the best material, and cap- 
able of retrieving any misfortune that may 
befall those in advance. It was not to be 
seriously supposed that the 3rd Division de- 
rived much moral support from our pres- 
ence. General Crawford, probably, did not 
know how to otherwise dispose of us, and 
undoubtedly considered that while follow- 
ing two hundred yards in the rear of his 
line, we might serve as a provost guard. 
We could then aid the wounded also, and be 
useful in various ways without taking a 
very serious part in the engagement. 

We descended into a narrow, grassy field 
or valley, and halted at the border of the 
woods on the opposite side. The ofHcers 
spoke to their men earnestly ; we exhorted 
them to fight desperately for the cause, and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 219 

the honor of the division and the regiment. 
They did not need much talk of this kind, 
and were ready and willing to do their best. 
The order, ^'Forward! " was soon given. 
The Pennsylvania Reserves, numbering 
eleven regiments, advanced so silently that 
we could not hear them, although following 
at only a short distance. 

In a few moments, a heavy musketry fire 
re-echoed through the woods and announced 
that they were sharply engaged with a 
strong force. The provisional battalion 
steadily moved on for several moments, and 
halted half way down the gentle slope of a 
ravine which was partially cleared of trees. 
Ranks were dressed, and we awaited devel- 
opments. It was soon perceived that after 
a sharp conflict, our comrades were baffled, 
and were slowly retreating. We prepared 
to give the Confederates a surprise, and per- 
haps a decided check. The detachment 
from our regiment was ordered to load and 
fire while kneeling. This meant that every 
man should place his right knee upon the 



220 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ground and resting liis left elbow upon the 
left knee, take deliberate aim, and reload 
while in same position, first shifting the 
musket to the left side. The Pennsylva- 
nians, well in hand, gave ground slowly 
and passed through our ranks, and, when 
invited to stop, replied, very sensibly: — 
" This is not the right place.'' 
The commissioned officers stood erect be- 
hind our men to direct their aim. Our 
front was soon unmasked by our comrades, 
and the rebels, in a confused mass, pressed 
forward yelling and firing. We opened a 
deliberate fire upon them, with fearful ef- 
fect. They replied from a ragged line and 
recoiled for a few feet, and rallied, showing 
a solid front. Nearly twenty rounds per 
man were exchanged at as many paces dis- 
tant. I do not believe a man left our ranks 
unhurt. A. J. Clarke, one of my men, 
jumped to his feet and coolly showed me a 
severe throat wound, before retreating. 
The Confederates temporarily withdrew ; 
we then formed our line, one hundred paces 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 221 

to the rear, and stood at ease in an exultant 
mood, tempered somewhat by regret for our 
severe losses. In a few moments the enemy- 
were again upon us. It was then almost dark, 
and they were bewildered by our withering 
fire, delivered at less than five paces. They 
must have supposed that we had fallen 
back much further. They were brave, as 
usual, but poorly handled. 

Nearly one hundred prisoners were taken 
by the 22nd, and the flag of the 6th Alaba- 
ma, which was captured by Captain Ben. 
Davis. In the last repulse one of my men, 
who was as kind as fearless, called to a re- 
treating Confederate, saying : — 

''Halt, or I will shoot! '^ 

No heed was given and he fired, and, as 
the poor fellow fell and partly turned 
around, my friend saw that he was a mere 
boy, not sixteen years old, though of a 
man's stature. He hastened to and raised 
him up, placing him against a tree, and 
gave him water and said : — 

' ' I am very sorry ; why did you not stop ? ' ' 



222 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

The boy said : — 

" Never mind, I suppose you liad to do 
it." 

The wound was in the side and serious ; 
recovery was possible, however. After the 
lapse of thirty-six years, my comrade re- 
calls the event with keen regret. 

The 22nd Massachusetts lost, in this com- 
bat, seven killed and thirteen wounded ; 
one-fifth of those engaged. 

Captain Field informed me, in 1888, that, 
after the final repulse. General Crawford 
came from his line, one hundred and twen- 
ty yards in our rear, accompanied by mem- 
bers of his staff, and made inquiries about 
the captured flag. Captain Davis made the 
statement that he had taken it from a Con- 
federate, which was verified by Captain 
Field, who witnessed the act. The general 
then asked why the position was held, and 
Field replied that he was waiting for or- 
ders, and was then courteously directed to 
withdraw to the rear of the 3rd Division. 

This episode has been the subject of much 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 223 

controversy, especially the flag incident, to 
wliicli undue importance has been attached. 
Captain Davis was a very honorable man 
and his veracity cannot be successfully im- 
peached. Orderly Sergeant Andrew Wil- 
son captured an officer's sword, but made no 
claim to the flag, and would certainly have 
appealed to me, if aggrieved. 

Early on the morning of the 9th, we 
were marched to our regiment, a mile away, 
and displaying our trophy, had quite an 
ovation from the brigade. 

Our division had a severe battle during 
our absence, but the regiment was fortu- 
nate. We found it sheltered partially by a 
light breast- work, which was dominated by 
the rifle pits of the Confederate skirmish- 
ers, three hundred yards off. Captain Da- 
vis and I messed together, and we were 
ensconced behind the entrenchment, enjoy- 
ing a frugal meal of coffee, hard bread, and 
salt pork, when he exclaimed, ** There are 
Mark and Drum ! " meaning his brother, 
lyieutenant Marcus M. Davis, then adjutant 



224 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

of the regiment, and Lieutenant Drum, 
wlio belonged to the 2nd Regular Infantry. 
He joined them, and I kept on with my 
breakfast. In less than two minutes. Lieu- 
tenant Davis almost trod upon me, with his 
brother, the captain, in his arms, mortally 
wounded and unconscious, — he was shot 
through the chest. They had stepped upon 
the entrenchment and were explaining the 
situation to Lieutenant Drum. They were 
drawing the fire from the rifle pits, and 
Lieutenant Davis spoke about it. His bro- 
ther was several years his senior, and 
shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he 
regarded the danger as trivial, and then 
instantly staggered. The Lieutenant, his 
brother, was much taller and very strong, 
and caught him before he could fall. It 
was a great shock to me, as I did not know 
that he was exposed, and would have pro- 
tested emphatically had I been aware of it. 
He was about thirty years of age, of excel- 
lent habits, and very able and conscientious 
in the discharge of his duty. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 225 

His death was a great affliction to his 
brother, the adjutant. First Lieut. Robert 
Davis, of the 2nd Regulars, to whom I have 
referred in my description of these brothers, 
was badly wounded on the next day, while 
in command of that battalion. Another 
brother. Lieutenant Frank Davis, of the 
ist Mass. Heavy Artillery, was wounded 
ten days after the captain, during a battle 
in which that regiment was hotly engaged. 



16 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Laurel Hill May loth. — The attack. — Sergeant Wilson 
mortally wounded. — Hugh Gilligan loses a leg. — Cas- 
ualties very great. — Congratulations on being alive not 
clearly in order. — First Massachusetts Heavy Artil- 
lery. — General Hancock. — North Anna. — "Mr. Lee is 
not here." — Alger's shot for luck. — Captain Plunkett. 
— Ninth and Thirty-second Massachusetts. — Colonel 
Tilton's adventure. — "Shoot this Yank!" — "Boys, I 
had him !" — General Warren. — Skirmishes May 30th. 
— The Johnny would not borrow a percussion cap. — 
Lieut. Fleming. — Staff appointment as Acting Assist- 
ant Adjutant General of Brigade. 

On the night of May 9, 1864, we fell back 
a few feet from the entrenchment, and lay 
upon our arms as a precaution against any 
attempt to surprise us. Sergeant Wilson 
and I slept under the same blankets, behind 
the company. C. F. Alger who was a close 
friend and confidant of Wilson, says that 
he came to him at least twice during the 
night and said he was sure he would be 
killed the next day. Alger was much im- 
pressed, as Wilson had never before mani- 
fested uneasiness. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 227 

We were undisturbed by the Confederates, 
who did not exhibit the dash and energy of 
the preceding week. It was now under- 
stood that we were to do skirmish duty for 
the brigade, aided by the valiant remnant of 
the 4th Michigan. The 9th and 32nd Massa- 
chusetts were to fight in line with the 62nd 
Pennsylvania. 

General Griffin came to the brigade at 
half past nine, to direct an attack upon the 
positions in our front. The picket line of the 
Confederates was strong and the men were 
protected by depressions in the surface and 
screens of rails and logs. A field extended 
in their rear to woods that nearly encircled 
it. General Griffin talked to us at some 
length, saying that we must drive the rebels 
from the picket line and follow them to the 
woods and make a lodgement there, and 
that he would protect our left flank with 
artillery. 

Our regiment deployed one hundred and 
fifty men as skirmishers, and the 4th Mich- 
igan furnished a gallant band for the same 



228 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

purpose. The order ' ' Forward ! ' ' was given 
by Major Burt, and we sprung upon our 
barricade and witb muskets at trail and 
bayonets fixed advanced upon the enemy, 
running moderately fast and not stopping to 
shoot. This method was original with us. 
A skirmisher in motion is not as good a 
target as one who halts to take aim. The 
defensive line having partial shelter, and 
rests for muskets can fire with greater 
accuracy than assailants who are exposed. 
Soldiers may be very brave, but if lying 
down or in a rifle pit, they will leave when 
an attacking force is upon them with loaded 
muskets and fixed bayonets. The Confed- 
erates hit many of us but could not stop our 
approach with their shots, and they ran 
when we were within a few yards. 

We halted for about two minutes and 
pressed on towards the woods, and when 
within a hundred yards of their border, 
found that a mistake had been made as we 
received a withering fire from a solid line of 
battle in front and on our left. We turned 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 229 

by common impulse to escape. Sergeant 
Wilson bad bounded forward like a deer 
to the assault. We retreated side by side 
making a precipitate flight. He suddenly 
gasped and dropped his musket. I shifted 
my sword to my left hand and stooping 
passed my right arm around him below his 
shoulders. He said : 

'* Captain, it's no use, drop me !'' 
I clung to him and he kept his feet. I 
realized that the delay of a second might 
bring death to me, but I was also aware 
that my comrade would perish without 
attention if forsaken by me. His request 
to be dropped was so generous that it 
inspired me with new strength and resolu- 
tion. I strained every nerve and muscle to 
sustain him until we reached a little hollow 
seventy-five yards distant, in what must 
have once been a garden. He was then 
almost helpless. This shelter in which I 
laid him was near the rifle pits we had just 
taken, and he was comparatively unexposed. 
In about twenty minutes there was a tem- 



230 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

porary lull in the firing, affording a chance 
to reach Wilson, and I had him taken to 
the rear, where he soon died. At the 33rd 
annual reunion of the regiment, the first I 
was able to attend, I found that my effort 
for the sergeant was known. I now record 
it in justice to all concerned. I said little 
about the episode while in the army, but 
now believe I should make it a part of my 
military history. 

The Confederates made a vigorous at- 
tempt to drive us by a sustained fire, from 
the picket line which we had gained. 
They did not push forward a force of 
infantry, but must have supposed they 
could make the position untenable. Their 
plan failed and was practically abandoned 
after an hour had elapsed, when we were 
relieved by the 32nd Massachusetts. Major 
Burt, Sergeant Walker, Private Hugh Gil- 
ligan and I halted behind a little barn, half 
way to the brigade line, when we were 
relieved, forming a little group. A sound 
was heard like the cracking of a dry stick, 



MUSKKT AND SWORD. 231 

and Gilligan sunk to the ground. The 
noise was caused by the breaking of a 
bone in one of his legs ; the ball came from 
the left flank. The gallant soldier did not 
complain then and I doubt if he has since, 
although the limb was amputated. He is 
now (June, 1900,) in the service of the city 
of Boston, and is highly esteemed by all 
who know him, for his genial qualities and 
broad intelligence. 

The regiment had over seventy men 
killed and wounded in this engagement, 
fully one half of those who made the 
advance. During the night a few who were 
wounded at the extreme front crept to our 
picket line. Those near them who were 
wholly helpless could secure no attention 
during the day and the comrades who 
escaped as stated above, saw no signs of aid 
after darkness set in. 

My recollection of the nth and 12th of 
May is somewhat confused. I remember 
that there was much firing, and that a 
strong line of infantry moved through our 



232 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 



line to assail the enemy. We were left on 
picket while the brigade marched to sup- 
port the 2nd and 6th Corps, near the famous 
bloody angle where General Hancock made 
his successful onslaught. The Confederates 
had made a similar movement as we inferred 
from their inactivity as neighbors. We 
now lived in an atmosphere of carnage, and 
did not know at the close of a day's strife 
whether or not to congratulate ourselves on 
being alive, as it seemed that we were all 
doomed. Those whose wounds were not 
very grave, but ensured a few weeks absence 
were fortunate. 

Upon the 13th our line was withdrawn 
a short distance to a more favorable situa- 
tion, preparatory to another turning move- 
ment. On the night of the same day the 
5th Corps made a long march for the pur- 
pose of gaining a position on the left and 
attacking the enemy in the morning. We 
crossed the Ny river twice. The roads 
were miry and the rain and mist made the 
darkness impenetrable. Fires were built 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 233 

to guide the column, but were extinguished 
by the rain. The corps however moved on ; 
the stragglers were numerous. At one ford 
the water was three feet deep. 

On the morning of the 14th, the ranks 
were so thin and those with the colors so 
enfeebled that an attack could not be made 
during the day. Night movements in rainy 
weather are very uncertain. In the flank 
movements of 1864, the Union troops were 
obliged to make prolonged marches and 
fight an entrenched enemy who reached their 
positions by interior lines, that were com- 
paratively short. We returned to our 
former location upon the 15th, and the men 
soon recuperated, although in close contact 
with the rebel lines. 

During the afternoon of the 19th an as- 
sault was made upon our extreme right by 
a portion of KwelPs Corps. The ist Mas- 
sachusetts Heavy Artillery serving as in- 
fantry was conspicuous in this action. It 
was originally the 14th Massachusetts In- 
fantry but was changed in 1861 to artillery, 



234 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

and its numbers increased, and it was then 
assigned to duty in the forts defending 
Washington, on Arlington Heights. It was 
finely drilled as infantry and under strict 
discipline, and was relieved from service in 
the defence of the Capital and sent to the 
front as infantry after the Wilderness bat- 
tles. It had over fifteen hundred men in 
line, and went forward in this its first bat- 
tle in perfect alignment and broke the Con- 
federate line, but at fearful cost, losing 
over five hundred officers and men. The 
opinion among the old troops was, that if 
they had been preceded by a very strong 
skirmish line and taken cover and deliv- 
ered a heavy fire before charging, that 
the victory would not have been so dearly 
bought. The skirmish line when it had 
located the main force of the foe could 
have notified the advancing troops and 
awaited or rejoined them at once if ex- 
pedient. We were proud of the gallant 
behavior of the regiment from our state. 
Our brigade was hastily moved to assist 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 23o 

in repelling Ewell but was not needed. 
General Humphreys, who was Meade's 
Chief of Staff, roundly scores in his book, 
"Virginia Campaigns of '64 and '65," 
Badeau's description of this battle and 
shows that he praises troops for gallantry 
that had no casualties and practically were 
not in the fight. The campaign at Spotsyl- 
vania was more advantageous to our arms 
that it is generally supposed. The remark 
of General Alexander S. Webb in his paper 
in " Battles and Leaders," that it was fruit- 
less, is gratuitous and not warranted by 
facts. The loss of the Confederates, accord- 
ing to General Hancock, was about four 
thousand prisoners besides their killed and 
wounded; also 20 pieces of artillery. Above 
all, their prestige was shaken and ours 
strengthened. Humphreys estimates that 
the Confederates lost in various engage- 
ments on the day of Hancock's assault 
between nine and ten thousand men. 

General Hancock's services in the Wilder- 
ness and at Spotsylvania were of inestima- 



236 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ble value ; he never failed the cause in an 
emergency. He was one of the great 
soldiers of the war. From Williamsburg 
to Spotsylvania his intrepidity and tireless 
energy had been conspicuous. He was 
thoroughly in earnest and above narrow 
jealousy of his superiors in rank. 

The Union army lost in the Wilderness 
and at Spotsylvania in killed, wounded and 
missing, 33,110 men. 

Upon the 21st we camped at Guinea 
Station, and on the 22nd we marched 
nearly all day, and skirmished occasionally. 
The 23rd of May was a beautiful day, the 
division had massed and bivouacked in a 
field. It was the turn of our brigade to 
lead the division. General Griffin and staff 
were present to start the column. Colonel 
Sweitzer, the brigade commander, was not 
on hand not having had breakfast. He was 
energetic under fire but calm and philo- 
sophical at other times. General Griffin 
was impatient and indulged in some criti- 
cisms garnished with a little profanity. He 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 237 

happened to look down and saw tlie Chap- 
lain of the ii8th Pennsylvania at breakfast, 
and said : 

*' Beg pardon, parson, I did not know you 
were here. I cannot help swearing some- 
times, but I am ashamed of it." 

At this juncture Sweitzer appeared, and 
we moved off quickly, and at 2 P. M. were 
at Jericho Ford on the North Anna. Prep- 
arations were promptly made to cross. It 
was impossible to find satisfactory places 
for artillery to cover the infantry on its ar- 
rival on the other bank. General Warren's 
disquietude was manifest. Our regiment 
was in advance as skirmishers, and entered 
the stream ; it was about three feet deep 
and rapid, but not over fifty yards wide. As 
we emerged we were confronted by a steep 
bank thirty feet high and covered with un- 
dergrowth. We climbed up it, and found 
at the top a well tilled enclosure, behind a 
small house. The ground was in well kept 
beds, about three feet wide, with paths 
between them. The men were eager to 



238 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

form line and to examine their muskets and 
cartridges to detect signs of dampness, and 
expected to be fired upon at once, and did 
not notice or care where they stood. Sud- 
denly an elderly woman came from the 
house ; she was very much excited but com- 
manded respect. She said : 

"Gentlemen, why have you come? Mr. Lee 
is not here; you are spoiling my garden." 

We were gratified by her information 
regarding " Mr. Lee," as we were not dis- 
posed to interview him with the small dele- 
gation present. She continued her protests ; 
the men were amused but not many heeded 
her request. Colonel Tilton's attention 
was attracted, and he said : 

" Boys, keep between the rows." 

In three minutes we moved on, wheeling 
slightly to the left, so as to parallel the 
woods before us. We reached the fence 
bounding the field, first traversing five hun- 
dred yards, and halted to remove it. Major 
Burt ordered me to send a vidette into the 
woods. I pointed to Private Charles F. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 239 

Alger. He stepped forward ten paces and 
stood behind a tree not over eight inches in 
diameter. I watched him intently believ- 
ing the Confederates must have pickets in a 
cover so near the ford. Alger aimed delib- 
erately and fired, and standing fast without 
even glancing to the rear commenced to 
load. His shot brought a volley from about 
fifty of the enemy, and we returned it. The 
9th Massachusetts came up in a dashing 
manner and delivered a volley. The rebels 
undoubtedly intended to flank the skirmish 
line, and the plan was well devised. I told 
Alger that when he saw the force before 
him lying down, he could have honorably 
retreated and given the information. He 
said that he knew that, but thought he 
would give them a shot for luck, and held 
his ground without looking back, because 
he knew the boys would stay. I do not 
believe the regiment ever had a more sincere 
compliment paid it. Alger knew his com- 
rades, and his behavior as vidette upon 
this occasion was more significant than his 



240 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

words. He was twenty-one years old and 
very quiet in his manner, and earnest in his 
attachments, and was always self possessed 
under fire. His readiness for perilous duty 
was understood. The detachment that he 
fired on was not more than twenty yards 
from him, and his act was as daring as any 
I ever beheld. 

We pressed on for five hundred yards and 
halted, forming a picket line. Corporal Dur- 
gin of Company B, was ensnared by rebels in 
our uniform, and others narrowly escaped. 

We adjusted our line so as to secure a 
commanding position for it and awaited the 
inevitable attack of the Confederates, who 
seldom ignored an opportunity to strike us 
when we had a ford in our rear and had not 
time to fortify. A few flank shots ranged 
near us, and Daddy Mulhern interested us 
by his talk about such assaults. He said: — 

*'As long as they are forninst us, I can 
stand it. But when they shoot sideways, I 
am onasy." 

He expressed his detestation of a man who 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 241 

would shoot around a corner. Mulhern was 
courageous and very faithful, and always en- 
tertaining. His comments were pithy and 
sensible, and abounded in racy humor. 

At 5 P. M. Hill's skirmishers endeavored 
to drive us back, but we held them at bay 
easily. They waited for their main force, 
and we received a crashing volley at short 
range ; and our retreat was not dilatory. 
We found that we were between two fires. 
A portion of our troops thought that we 
were captured, and replied to the Confeder- 
ates without regard for us. But there was 
good reason for it, as the attack was very 
heavy on our right. I thought, for a mo- 
ment, that I was viewing the ground where 
we would shortly lie. We changed direc- 
tion towards the left of our brigade line, 
and came in over the 32nd Massachusetts. 
They were behind a strong barricade and 
were waiting for us ; Colonel Prescott and 
Major Cunningham were specially solici- 
tous for our escape. 

As we ran in, I could see infantry, wear- 

17 



242 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ing felt hats, coming in solid array to the 
support of our right. I supposed then that 
they were regulars, and believe now they 
must have been. The 9th Massachusetts 
was on the right of a little farm road and 
the 32nd on the left. We intermingled 
with both. I was with the left wing of the 
9th Massachusetts. The 32nd now began 
firing steadily. The 9th was full of en- 
thusiasm and fought with wonderful ener- 
gy. Captain Chris Plunkett, of that 
regiment, was a lion. He was tall and of 
noble bearing, and gifted with a resonant 
voice. His fervid appeals to his comrades 
seemed to inspire them with almost super- 
natural fury. He was soon struck in an 
arm and fell, but still exhorted his men to 
fight to the last, and not to remove him. 
But he was borne to the rear, and lost his 
arm. He was certainly a heroic leader. 

The right of the 9th soon fell back. This 
has been the subject of unjust comment. 
The 9th could see that the troops on their 
right had yielded ground slightly, and that 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 243 

we were in danger of being flanked. The 
32nd could not as clearly perceive it, and 
were just fairly wakened by the fierceness 
of the attack, and fought with the dogged 
determination which was its striking char- 
acteristic. It never entered a battle with 
much display of enthusiasm, but never 
knew when to retreat. The rebels were, at 
this crisis, defeated, the line on our right 
having been quickly restored. Our division 
bore the heat and burden of the day. 

The 22nd was assembled in the rear, and 
was soon ordered to the front to establish a 
picket line. We moved cautiously three 
hundred yards beyond the entrenchment, 
and halted in line of battle. We could see 
quite well for a few yards, by the moon- 
light. Colonel Tilton left us for a few mo- 
ments to examine the position preparatory 
to locating the picket posts, or stations. 
A voice, in sharp, earnest tones, unmistak- 
ably southern, broke the silence with the 
exclamation : — 

"• Shoot this Yank! " 



244 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

This startled us and caused a general 
laugh, as it was plain that we were mistak- 
en for a rebel battalion. A group rushed to 
the spot and, seizing a Confederate of mag- 
nificent physique, brought him to his feet ; 
and beneath him, greatly to our surprise 
and chagrin, was our colonel. Help was 
given him, and, as we brushed the leaves and 
dirt from his back, he calmly remarked : — 

''Boys, I had him! " 

As the Johnny was six inches taller and 
fifty pounds heavier than the colonel, we 
were much amused by the sally. The pris- 
oner was frightened, and said that he did 
not know that it was our colonel, but that 
he was looking for the wounded and came 
upon a man suddenly who told him quietly 
to surrender. He brought his musket down 
to fire, and his opponent seized it and 
grappled with him, and was thrown. The 
Confederate said that as the struggle con- 
tinued he was afraid of being shot with a 
pistol, and gazing around, saw what he 
supposed was a battalion of his friends, and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 245 

called to them for aid. The colonel here 
interposed, saying, that he was not offen- 
ded, and that shooting was the game in 
fashion. The man saw that he was not to 
be harmed by us and that his discomfiture 
was enjoyed, and became emboldened and 
addressed the colonel, saying : — 

" I am a prisoner now, and as there will 
be some shooting here soon, I wish to be 
out of the way." 

The colonel remarked that his request 
was very sensible, and ordered him to be 
sent to the Provost Guard. The fellow was 
in danger, for a moment only, from one or 
two enlisted men, who were easily and 
promptly restrained. Colonel Tilton was 
popular with his men, and among very 
many other good qualities, had a keen sense 
of humor, and when, as we were marching 
subsequently, some wag in the ranks would 
greet his approach with an imitation of the 
rebel's outcry, ''Shoot this Yank!" he 
would smile grimly and ride on without ad- 
ministering any rebuke. 



246 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

In a few moments another Confederate 
appeared. He was coming down a wood 
road, carrying a stretcher upon his shoul- 
der. He hesitated when he saw us. Lieu- 
tenant Roby, who was very courtly in his 
manner, stepped forward and said that it 
was all right, and that the visitor was wel- 
come, and requested him to come to us. 
As he was covered by a musket in the hands 
of a sergeant, he accepted the invitation. 
Our provost guards said, that in taking 
prisoners to the rear, they seemed nervous 
as shells came near them. The remark was 
made that they were very bold when charg- 
ing batteries, and the reply was, in effect, 
that they were usually then in close col- 
umn, and whoever flinched was cut down by 
the officers. 

We remained passive until the afternoon 
of the 24th, when we moved two miles to 
our right, and built a substantial breast- 
work of logs. Smoking tobacco was brought 
to us in large quantities by the cavalry and 
freely given to all who desired it, and was 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 



247 



a great comfort, as rations were scant. 
On May 25th, we were on duty at Little 
River. The Confederates were vigilant on 
the other side. 

General Warren, attended only by a 
mounted orderly, rode along the picket line 
and made very many inquiries. He im- 
pressed me as giving little thought to his 
personal safety, and as fully grasping the 
details of the situation. 

General Lee held the North Anna for 
one-half of a mile, and extended both flanks 
back to Little River. We were across the 
North Anna, both above and below him. 
His position was adroitly taken, as it divi- 
ded our forces like a wedge, and he could 
reinforce any threatened point speedily. 
The situation was similar to that of Meade 
at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, when he moved 
troops on short lines from his right to his 
left flank to defeat Longstreet. General 
Lee's failure to take advantage of the op- 
portunity showed a decadence in the offen- 
sive force of his army since May 5th and 



248 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

6th, or lie would have followed the tactics 
of those eventful days and assailed one of 
the wings of our army with tremendous 
energy. He accepted his repulse by the 
5th Corps, on the 23rd as final. He received 
at this time a reinforcement of nine thou- 
sand men, including Picket's fine division. 
It was soon discovered that I^ee's position 
was impregnable. Our efforts there had 
been partially successful, as the enemy had 
lost more men than we, and the confidence 
of our army was perceptibly augmented. 

On the night of May 26th, we recrossed 
the North Anna to take part in a new flank- 
ing attempt. The 5th Corps followed the 
left bank of the Pamunkey, and passed over 
it on a pontoon bridge at Hanovertown, on 
the 28th, after marching thirty miles from 
Jericho Ford. We made a short advance in 
the afternoon, preparatory to a general 
movement. 

On the 29th the column proceeded very 
cautiously, covered by skirmishers and 
flankers. The route was through a well 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 249 

wooded country, although not so impene- 
trable as the Wilderness. The rebel skirmish- 
ers yielded ground steadily before the ist 
Brigade, containing the regulars, until they 
were found in a strong position in the 
woods on the far side of a field. The at- 
tacking force would be compelled to encoun- 
ter the fire of the enemy while advancing 
five hundred yards. It was too late then to 
carry the rebel position that day, and it 
was left as a problem for our brigade, which 
was to lead on the following day. May 30, 
1864. It was asserted that a solid line of 
battle would be needed to dislodge our inde- 
fatigable enemy. 

We deployed as skirmishers early in the 
morning in a thin line of one rank, with the 
men five paces apart, and drove out our op- 
posers in less than ten minutes and with 
light loss to us. We halted for rest, and 
soon went on again in the woods, and in a 
few minutes a stand was made by the Con- 
federates. A lively combat ensued, and a 
concerted advance gave us success again. 



250 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

This contest was repeated twice before a 
very resolute effort was made to check us at 
a place in the woods, where there was a 
large field in the rear which the rebels did 
not mean to cross under our fire. They 
took cover behind trees, our men did the 
same, and the distance was very short be- 
tween the combatants. A Confederate aimed 
at Rankin, of Co. C; his musket missed 
fire. I heard Rankin call to him, saying : — 

'' Come here, Johnny, and I will lend you 
a cap." 

The response was brief but emphatic. 
Finally our thin line was warned to be 
ready to charge. Major Burt gave the or- 
der, " Forward ! " It was instantly repeat- 
ed by all the officers, and we rushed ahead. 
The elusive enemy escaped, but as we 
neared the field, our men fell very fast. 
We lost more in five minutes than in all the 
previous frays of the day. This deadly fire 
came from some building in the edge of the 
woods beyond the field, and must have been 
the work of sharpshooters who had obtained 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 251 

the distance and studied the lay of the 
ground. 

Lieutenant M. M. Davis, our adjutant, 
was as usual very active and received a ball 
through his hat, grazing his head. We, in 
a few moments, crossed the field and en- 
tered the woods for a few yards. We were 
followed by the rest of the brigade, which 
Colonel Sweitzer thought was necessary to 
prevent our being swept away by some sud- 
den attack of the enemy, whose main force 
we were nearing. We lost five killed and 
thirteen wounded out of one hundred and 
twenty taken into action. Lieutenant Flem- 
ing was wounded in the arm, about six 
inches from the shoulder. The bone was 
not touched, and two little pink spots were 
all that could be seen. I saw him a few 
months later ; the flesh had sloughed off al- 
most to the bone for a space over three 
inches wide. Wounds, in the summer of 
1864, were usually more serious among vet- 
erans than first appearances indicated. 

General Charles Griffin was elated by our 



252 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

success. He seemed to have special regard 
for the troops of his division as it was con- 
stituted in 1863, before the regulars were 
assigned to it. He was in very close touch 
with the volunteers, although he was an 
officer of the regular army. The first brig- 
ade of the division contained the regulars, 
and was very steadfast and efficient. Major 
Burt, who was in command of the skirmish- 
ers, displayed admirable skill and coolness. 
The brigade was withdrawn and rations is- 
sued. They were insufficient, and had been 
since our departure from winter quarters. 
On June ist we were near Bethesda 
Church and enjoyed a brief respite from the 
firing line. I was requested to accept a de- 
tail as Acting Assistant Adjutant General 
of the Brigade. Captain Merwin, the Act- 
ing Assistant Adjutant General of the 
Division, was sick beyond hope of recovery, 
in the division hospital, and had been re- 
placed by Captain Monteith, the Acting 
Assistant Adjutant General of the 2nd 
Brigade, thus creating a vacancy. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 253 

Colonel J. B. Sweitzer, commanding the 
brigade, desired to compliment our regi- 
ment, as it had acquiesced gracefully to its 
severance from old associations when it was 
assigned in the spring to the 2nd Brigade. 
Col. Sweitzer also said that the 22nd had by 
its efficiency at all times, especially while 
on skirmish duty, contributed very much to 
the conceded success of his command, since 
crossing the Rapidan. He also wished to 
show his appreciation of the character and 
services of Colonel Tilton, whose advice 
and co-operation he had found invaluable. 
Colonel Tilton was therefore invited to 
nominate one of his captains for the posi- 
tion, and I was indebted to him for the op- 
portunity to serve in a conspicuous place, 
the duties of which were responsible and 
instructive. I asked time for consideration. 
I knew it was my interest to accept, but 
my attachment for the regiment was so 
strong that it seemed insurmountable. I 
did not have a dozen men remaining, how- 
ever, and Orderly Sergeant Daniel Walker 



254 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

was very capable. I conferred with Captain 
J. H. Baxter, my senior in years and close 
friend. He advised me to accept, saying 
tliat I was very fortunate and that it was 
my chance to help the cause, and that my 
family would be gratified. I complied with 
his advice, and on the following day report- 
ed for service. 

I soon discovered that my duties were not 
onerous as a clerk or correspondent while 
we were in the presence of the enemy. A 
very competent enlisted man was familiar 
with the routine and compiled the daily re- 
ports. Communications for the regiments 
were signed by me for the colonel com- 
manding ; those for the division were signed 
by him personally. The task of overshad- 
owing importance devolving upon us, was 
to direct and lead the brigade in action. 

Ordinarily, when marching or preparing 
to fight, a staff officer simply communicates 
the orders of the commander to the colonels 
or others leading the battalions, first pre- 
senting the compliments of his chief. But 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 255 

in emergencies, they are obliged to assume 
much, being guided only by general direc- 
tions. This was understood, and it was es- 
sential that the adjutant and aides-de-camp 
should have the respect and confidence of 
the troops. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Colonel Sweitzer. — Character sketched. — Lieut. John 
Seitz, Aide-de-camp. — His distinguished merit. — 
"When the swallows." — Thomas Warren. — The 21st 
Pennsylvania dismounted cavalry. — Battle June 3 
1864. — A lively ride. — Captain J. H. Baxter mortally 
wounded. — Last interview. — Phillips's 5th Massachu- 
setts Battery. — Gallant 9th Massachusetts. — Truce on 
the Picket Line. — Petersburg. — Assault June i8th. — 
4tli Michigan. — Thomas Warren killed. — Colonel 
Prescott mortally wounded. — The 155th Pennsylvania* 
— Hard bread condemned and issued. 

Colonel Jacob Bowman Sweitzer of the 
62nd Pennsylvania Volunteers, was a law- 
yer by profession prior to entering the army. 
He came of a military family ; one of his 
ancestors was on Washington's staff, and a 
brother being a captain of cavalry in the 
regular army. Colonel Sweitzer distin- 
guished himself in command of the brigade 
at Gettysburg. He was brave and saga- 
cious in battle, and should have been made 
a Brigadier General, especially as he was 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 257 

left in command of the brigade when the 
campaign commenced. There was a plen- 
titude of brigadiers, and his retention after 
the reorganization of the army must have 
been well considered, and advised by supe- 
riors in rank who valued him highly. His 
political affiliations did not aid him. Gen- 
eral Griffin placed, as I soon discovered, 
great confidence in his skill and judgment. 
Colonel Sweitzer was very simple in his 
dress and manners. He wore a full beard, 
was of the blond type and looked like a 
German. General Griffin would call him 
the " Dutchman,'' when in a jesting mood, 
and I suppose one-half of the division 
thought that he or his parents were from 
the fatherland. It did not hurt him with 
the men or ruffle his good humor. A 
stranger could not long converse with him 
without learning that he was from Pitts- 
burg, Pa., or ^' Old Smoky," and that deep 
attachment for it was cherished by him. 

I found only one aide-de-camp on duty 
with him, Lieut. John Seitz, a handsome 

i8 



258 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

officer and a close personal friend of his 
chief. He was an invaluable man under 
fire, being sound in judgment and dauntless 
in courage. He saw things as they were, 
his imagination did not deceive him, and 
he could be trusted implicitly to give orders 
at his discretion, in the name of his c m- 
mander in an emergency. We became 
bosom friends at once ; he was a boon 
companion. He knew only one verse of 
" When the swallows homward fly,** and 
could sing it very well. I often have won- 
dered if he ever learned the remainder of it. 
There were two enlisted men serving as 
mounted orderlies, and two clerks on duty 
at brigade headquarters. Thomas Warren 
of Company D, 22nd Massachusetts, was an 
orderly, and had been on duty for at least a 
year with Colonel Sweitzer. He was quite 
young, not over twenty-one and sunny in 
temperament. He behaved with marked 
gallantry at North Anna, riding under a 
fearful fire in the crisis of the battle to the 
extreme front with orders. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 259 

On June 2nd, the 21st Pennsylvania cav- 
alry, wliicli was dismounted and serving as 
infantry, joined the brigade. It consisted of 
twelve full companies and made an impos- 
ing appearance. The horses that could be 
obtained were needed for the old regiments, 
and this was given infantry equipments and 
sent to the front. It was of very good 
material but needed experience. The cav- 
alry tactics were adhered to by it, and its 
evolutions interested the other regiments. 
They could advance remarkably well in 
line of battle and endure losses with stub- 
born patience, but could not at first retali- 
ate effectively. 

Upon the morning of June 3rd, 1864, 
Colonel Sweitzer directed me to report to 
Colonel Tilton, who was to command the 
skirmish line of the brigade during the 
contemplated attack which was to be made 
at once. The skirmishing detail consisted 
of the 22nd Massachusetts and the 4th Michi- 
gan. We were to advance about six hun- 
dred yards over a field sloping from us, 



260 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

gainst tlie Confederates, wHo were in a 
belt of timber skirting it. The troops be- 
hind us and prepared to follow in line were 
the 9th and 32nd Massachusetts, 62nd Penn- 
sylvania and 2ist Pennsylvania dismounted 
cavalry. The skirmish detail was soon 
ready and Colonel Tilton and I accompanied 
it on foot and soon reached the woods. 
They were about one thousand yards from 
Bethesda Church and quite dense. The 
infantry followed in fine form and very close 
to us. Artillery was placed where it could 
send solid shot over our troops with effect. 
The rebels had a battery near the field, 
with the horses in an adjacent hollow. Our 
assault was so quick and unexpected that 
the poor creatures could not be removed 
and were nearly all slain by our musketry. 
But the line was firmly held by a numerous 
body of infantry and our troops halted at 
the edge of the woods and lay down. The 
bulk of the Confederates, as I discovered 
soon, were only twenty yards distant. I 
was with the left wing, and after we were 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 



261 



checked passed along to the right to survey 
the situation so as to report to Colonel 
Sweitzer. I came to where a narrow road 
passed through the woods and lay down for 
a moment to reconnoitre. Our troops were 
in a solid line beyond the road and were 
maintaining a moderate fire. 

I saw George Steele of Company H, in 
the road a few feet ahead of our line, smil- 
ing in death. He was not over i8 years 
old, and a brother of Lieut. Steele, who was 
wounded May 5th. George was like his 
brother, bright and handsome. He must 
have passed from life in the quickness of a 
flash. I dodged over the road to the 32nd 
and 9th Massachusetts, interspersed among 
whom were many of the skirmishers. I 
had just made a few inquiries when Lieut. 
Seitz quickly dismounted, having ridden at 
full speed from the rear. He remarked 
that he intended to pass along our brigade 
on foot, and requested me to ride his horse 
to the rear as I had said that I was ready to 
leave. I consented very cheerfully and was 



262 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

about to mount when a member of the 9th 
Massachusetts spoke to me, saying the 
Confederates were not much over fifty feet 
away, and though lying down as we were, 
could see the horse. He suggested that I 
would undoubtedly be riddled if I attempted 
to ride. I was in a dilemma as I did not 
wish to take serious risks for a horse. I 
thought however, that my friend might be 
mistaken, and was about to mount reckless- 
ly when some one said : 

'' lyead him along the line first." 
The advice was sound and I followed it, 
stooping at the same time, and sprang into 
the saddle using the spur upon my right 
foot before catching the stirrup. I lay for- 
ward upon the pony^s neck. He went like 
an arrow and seemed to understand why we 
were in a hurry and settled down as low as 
possible. I suppose one hundred shots were 
fired at me ; luckily the range was a little 
too high to catch me, but the bullets whistled 
close enough to make the occasion interest- 
ing. The woods and the fire of our boys 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 263 

saved me. I reeled in tlie saddle before 
my right foot was in the stirrup, and it was 
supposed that I was wounded. lyieut. Seitz 
had parted from me before I was warned, 
but hearing the musketry and exclamations 
he looked at the race against time, and said 
the speed of his horse surprised him. He 
regretted the incident and would not have 
endangered me knowingly. 

As I emerged from this fire I was hailed 
by a man who said that Captain Baxter 
was mortally wounded, and he also informed 
me where to find him. I was surprised 
exceedingly, as he had been so fortunate 
that I felt that he bore a charmed life, and 
could hardly realize that his end was near. 
I galloped in the direction indicated, and 
soon overtook him. He was being carried up- 
on a stretcher. I was overwhelmed and took 
his hand. He was shot through the abdomen. 
He spoke calmly and distinctly, saying : 
'' Oh, Ned, I have got it at last !" 
I tried to encourage him with the hope of 
recovery ; he shook his head and said : 



264 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

**SeeliowIbleed!'» 

He bade me good-bye and his bearers 
hurried on to the hospital. He died within 
a few hours submitting patiently to his fate. 
He was frank, unselfish and brave, a noble 
character whose death was keenly deplored 
by all who knew him. I made my report 
to Colonel Sweitzer, and visited the front. 
I found that our men were digging holes 
with their bayonets and were keeping the 
opposing force in check so far as the fire from 
the principal portion of their line was con- 
cerned. 

Colonel Prescott of the 32nd Massachu- 
setts Volunteers, said that the rebel battery 
not twenty yards away could not fire, as our 
boys shot the gunners when they attempted 
to load, but that a substantial barn, or 
corn house, near the battery, but partly in 
the hollow, was occupied by the Confeder- 
ates. They were in the upper room or loft 
and quite secure, and were hitting many of 
our people. He requested that our artillery 
should make it a target. I returned to 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 265 

Colonel Sweitzer ; lie directed me to see 
Captain Phillips of the 5th Massachusetts 
Battery, and present his compliments and 
ask his assistance. I found Captain Phil- 
lips immediately. He was very courteous. 
I recall him as being about 28 years old and 
quite tall and slender. He was at first in- 
credulous about the rebels being in the build- 
ing, but was speedily convinced by my posi- 
tive assurances. He then remarked that his 
shot must pass only about three feet above 
our own line to be effective and that he must 
exercise great care to avoid harming it. He 
feared that the boys might be demoralized 
by the closeness of the range. He was 
informed that they knew what was coming 
and would not budge. The captain care- 
fully examined with his field glass the posi- 
tion and gave detailed instruction to a gun 
crew. The piece was rifled and three inches 
in calibre. He observed that the first shot 
would be high, as it was, but the third 
struck fairly making the splinters fly in a 
shower. The Confederates vacated and did 



266 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

not return. A few greetings from Phillips 
were enough for them. The distance was 
only six hundred yards, the horses of our 
battery were sheltered, the men were ex- 
posed. The 22nd and the 2nd Sharpshooters 
had twelve killed and thirteen wounded out 
of one hundred and ten engaged. Sergeant 
Philip Wenzel of Company E, was severely 
wounded in an arm, and asked Corporal D. 
L. Jones if he thought it right for him to 
go to the rear. Jones, supported by the rest 
of the company, insisted upon his retire- 
ment. 

The Confederates retreated during the 
night, and we inspected their defenses with 
much interest. There were many dead 
horses in a hollow, and it was plain that 
their loss in men must have been considera- 
ble. We were passive for a day, but on 
June 5th, Colonel Sweitzer was directed to 
make a reconnoissance, and at half past 
three p. M., the brigade moved out on the 
Shady Grove road. The 9th Massachusetts 
was left to hold the entrenchments. It had 



MUSKKT AND SWORD. 267 

only five more days to serve and Colonel 
Sweitzer wished to spare it. The 22nd 
Massachusetts and 4th Michigan, both 
under Colonel Tilton, led as skirmishers, 
and soon met the Confederates and drove 
them after a brisk contest. They made two 
or three stands afterwards, one of them 
being very stubborn. Finally we reached 
a belt of dense woods fully one mile from 
our point of departure, and the brigade line 
of battle approached quite near our skir- 
mishers and halted and prepared to deliver 
battle. 

The skirmishers entered the forest, and 
had not been gone over two minutes when 
a tremendous volley was heard. We had 
come in contact with a large force in a care- 
fully chosen location. Colonel Tilton said 
to Colonel Sweitzer : — 

" I told you we would strike hard pan." 

The environment was not satisfactory. 

Our flanks were exposed in the presence of 

an enterprising foe, who evidently awaited 

our assault, but if aware of the state of af- 



268 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

fairs would, it was firmly believed, strike 
our flanks and endeavor to cut off our re- 
treat. Our advance had been mainly over 
a field bordered on the left by woods througli 
which a concealed effort to get in our rear 
could be made. 

Lieutenant Seitz and I rode to the right 
and watched for any demonstration by the 
enemy from that direction. In a half hour 
I was called back and Colonel Sweitzer re- 
quested me to report the progress made by 
him to General Griffin, and to suggest that 
if the other brigades of the division could 
support him, he would make an assault 
upon the Confederates, who were undoubt- 
edly in strong numbers before him. Gen- 
eral Griffin was at Bethesda Church. I 
delivered my message. He made many 
inquiries and said he would not bring on an 
engagement without orders, and that we 
had gone further than he anticipated. He in- 
structed me to say to Colonel Sweitzer, from 
him, that he must use his own judgment as 
he was on the spot and responsible for the 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 269 

reconnoissance. Gen. Griffin's views were 
conclusive ; a forward movement must be 
concerted to prevent the massing of the 
enemy at the critical point. It occurred to 
me that the 9th Mass. might be needed, 
and I explained the situation to lyieut. Col. 
Hanley, in command of that regiment, and 
in Col. Sweitzer's name ordered him to 
proceed to the front. He was eager to 
obey and I rode rapidly towards the brigade 
and found that it was retreating very quiet- 
ly in line of battle. I reported the conver- 
sation with the General, and Col. Sweitzer 
said he had anticipated the result. He 
expressed satisfaction with the order to the 
9th Massachusetts. We very soon met that 
regiment. It had come forward in *' double 
quick " time and the men were exhausted. 
The good fellowship displayed was charac- 
teristic of that gallant regiment, and was 
warmly appreciated. The Confederates 
probably supposed that our approach was in 
heavy force and supported by artillery, and 
that our delay was for the purpose of 



270 MUSKET AND SWORt). 

making dispositions for an attack. 

Upon the yih we camped near the Chick- 
ahominy, and on the 9th Lieutenant Seitz 
and I made an inspection trip to the picket 
line located on that stream, now classic in 
our history. Its devious course is through 
a malarial swamp abounding in lofty trees 
and rank vegetation. We rode across a field 
or meadow of luxuriant grass to the woods 
and tied our horses. The picket line was 
about one hundred yards further on. Guards 
were posted and were pacing their beats as 
on camp guard. The majority were wash- 
ing their clothing or fishing with impro- 
vised tackle in the Chickahominy, which 
was then quite low and only about thirty 
feet wide. The Confederates were similar- 
ly engaged on the opposite bank. A sol- 
diers' truce existed. We went along our 
line. The rebels could see by our spurs 
that we were staff officers, and they merely 
gazed placidly upon us, making no audible 
comment. These truces were always faith- 
fully observed ; notice of intention to fire 



MUSKKT AND SWORD. 271 

was invariably given. I do not believe that 
a hostile shot was fired during the four days 
that these lines were held. Truces of this 
nature were never made between Union 
troops from the south and the rebels. The 
hatred that divided these elements was im- 
placable. Its embers still smoulder in Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee, and Missouri. 

The 9th Mass. Volunteers started for 
home on June loth, and Colonel Sweitzer 
addressed them eloquently and in compli- 
mentary terms. 

The Army, under Generals Grant and 
Meade, lost, from May 5 to June 10, 1864, 
inclusive, 49,000 men in killed, wounded, 
and missing. Eleven thousand of these 
were killed, including those who perished 
among the missing. The missing were 
8700. Undoubtedly one-half of these were 
slain in the thickets of the Wilderness. 
To these appalling figures should be added 
those whom death overtook within a brief 
period after their discharge from the service 
for disability incurred by wounds or 



272 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

disease. The sick were also very numer- 
ous. General Grant admits frankly that 
the last assaults at Cold Harbor should not 
have been made. The temptation to crush 
Lee, if possible at this time, was very great, 
as the alternative of a flank movement be- 
yond the James was not inviting. The rank 
and file of the veterans sustained their 
chiefs with grim determination, although 
depressed by our losses. The conviction 
existed generally among them that we were 
gradually strangling the rebellion. 

There was much in the outlook to en- 
courage the Confederates. They were sen- 
sibly weakened, but had baffled the Union 
army and were still powerful. The activity 
of their friends in the North induced them 
to hope that favorable terms might be prof- 
fered. 

We were visited by our trains, about this 
time, and full supplies of clothing and 
shoes were issued. The rest of a few days 
was very beneficial. 

Upon June 12 we commenced our journey 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 273 

to the James and crossed the Chickahom- 
iny, and, marching over forty miles, arrived 
at Wilcox's Landing on the morning of the 
15th. We crossed the James upon a pon- 
toon bridge that was a marvel. It was 
twenty-one hundred feet long, and capable 
of sustaining unbroken trains of wagons 
and artillery. Strict instructions had been 
given regarding the troops and teams that 
were to have precedence. General Meade 
found that an attempt had been made, or 
was in progress, to disregard his orders. 
His vigorous action and lurid comments 
were a revelation to the offender. Steam- 
boats were also used to transport troops. It 
was essential that the passage should be 
made quickly, to accomplish the objects in 
view. The march from the river to Peters- 
burg was fatiguing as the weather was very 
hot, but the army was well controlled and 
the straggling was nominal only. It was 
perceived that we could not surprise Peters- 
burg, our objective point. General Lee was 
deceived for two or three days, and then 

19 



274 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

saw the danger which threatened this key- 
to the railroad connections of Richmond 
with the south. We were in reserve June 
17, but on the i8th were early in motion 
and passed over ground that had been 
warmly contested the previous day. The 
dead had not been buried, and the sight 
was gruesome. Our lines were formed ful- 
ly five hundred yards from the Norfolk 
railroad, which at this place was in a cut 
twenty-five feet deep. Considerable delay 
occurred in making connection upon our 
right flank and in studying the location of 
the Confederates. They were not over 
three hundred yards beyond the railroad, 
and were fortified and had light artillery in 
position. Its plane of fire extended over 
the field which we must traverse and across 
a country highway which led to the rail- 
road. I was ordered to aid in the direction 
of the skirmish line. The 4th Michigan 
was kept in reserve, as its term would ex- 
pire on the next day. It had only seventy- 
five men remaining. Colonel Sweitzer 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 275 

Spoke to them, referring to their long and 
distinguished services, and said that he 
would take the responsibility of withhold- 
ing them from the pending action. But if 
we were pressed, he should expect them to 
come to the aid of their comrades and fight 
with their accustomed gallantry. The 
regiment responded manifesting much feel- 
ing, offering to lead if desired in the fight, 
and said they would not wait for orders, if 
needed. The 4th Michigan was a fine body 
of young men and had made a noble record 
from the beginning. It was always efficient 
and fit for any duty, and ranked as one of 
the best battalions in the army. 

The fire from the Confederates was heavy. 
The bullets cut through the grass, making 
a sound like that of a scythe in the hands 
of a sturdy mower in a field of rank growth. 
The skirmish line went forward and took 
all the cover possible, preparatory to a dash 
upon the pickets of the rebels at the right 
moment. I was in the field behind them, 
when General Griffin rode up alone and 



276 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

questioned me regarding the progress made 
and the location of the enemy. I explained 
as fully as I could, and pointed out their 
artillery and its range. Captain Phillips 
of the 5th Massachusetts Battery then came 
up and asked the General where he should 
place his pieces. The General told him 
that I would show him. We rode to the 
right to look at the ground there. Captain 
Phillips remarked that the Confederate ar- 
tillery was not habitually served with the 
stubborn resolution displayed by their ad- 
mirable infantry. He said: '* We will si- 
lence those fellows, although they are 
sheltered, and in a little while they will 
sneak in a shot at us.*' The captain found 
a satisfactory position and I left him. He 
silenced the Confederate battery speedily, 
but in a few moments his prediction was 
fulfilled ; two shots were discharged for his 
special benefit. 

I was now joined by Thomas Warren, my 
orderly, who had been dispatched to me 
with a message. We rode towards the 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 277 

skirmisli line, as tlie time had come for it 
to move on. We dismounted as we neared 
it. I ordered him to hold the reins of both 
horses and lie down behind the bank of the 
road. He obeyed before we separated. The 
shells from the enemy intersected the road 
at an angle of twenty degrees, and he was 
apparently well protected. I then went to 
the skirmish line which was ready to make 
a rush. The word was given that all was 
ready and we dashed on. But the rebels 
had made a lodgement to our right in a ditch 
and our connecting line failing to go with 
us, our right was obliged to retreat after 
it had gone about fifty yards. Captain 
John Rock of Company C of our regiment, 
wore his tight fitting dress coat, and as 
we stopped it was noticed that a ball had 
cut it across the small of the back prac- 
tically ruining it. When his attention was 
called to the mishap, he was startled at his 
narrow escape and reaching for his canteen 
said, '' Here is a little commissary," and 
discovered that a ball had punched two 



278 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

holes in it. Captain Rock was not an 
intemperate man, but had been fortunate 
enough to get the whiskey that morning 
and carried it for his friends chiefly, especi- 
ally the wounded. He was struck at Gaines 
Mills, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and 
suffered severely in each case. I returned 
to get my horse and report. I saw that he 
had gone, and hastening to the spot where 
I had parted from poor Warren, found him 
lying dead. A shell had exploded over him 
and a piece of it had fractured his skull. 
The horses were uninjured and galloped to 
the rear where it was soon believed that 
both Warren and I were killed. 

New dispositions were made on the right 
of the road, and the whole line advanced, 
followed by the brigade, which crossed the 
railroad and made a lodgement within one 
hundred and fifty yards of the Confederate 
entrenchment. We were very near the site 
of the big mine that was exploded July 
30th. Colonel G. L. Prescott of the 32nd 
Massachusetts was mortally wounded in 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 279 

this attack. He was worthy of his noble 
regiment. He lived until the next day. 
He told General Griffin that while he had 
much to live for, he was contented to 
die for the cause. His loss was greatly 
deplored. 

Arrangements were made for another 
assault, and at 5.30 p. m., the brigade 
charged. I was with the 32nd Massa- 
chusetts. We almost reached the breast- 
work and the rebels began to retreat. The 
155th Pennsylvania Volunteers on our left 
must have been within five yards of it. 
The Confederates saw that the troops on 
our left did not support us, and rallied and 
succeeded in holding their works. The 
155th Pennsylvania lost heavily, and fell 
back in good form. I saw several of them 
rush back for their wounded and bring 
them off under fire. The regiments on our 
left were new and could not be induced to 
charge. If we could have had two lines 
and been supported on the left flank we 
would have captured positions that were 



280 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

vital for the defence. Major Burt of tlie 
22nd Massachusetts accompanied the 155th 
Pennsylvania in the assault. His regiment 
was held in reserve having done the skir- 
mish duty, and lost seven killed and four- 
teen wounded, one fourth of those engaged. 
Sergeant J. W. Kenfield and Corporal David 
L. Jones of Company E, were wounded. They 
are both now (1900) residents of Boston. The 
i55thPennsylvania was from Pittsburg, Pa., 
and vicinity, and had been assigned to the 
brigade recently. It was admirably drilled 
and led with energy and skill. Its uniform 
was zouave and contrasted in a pronounced 
manner with the staid blue of the rest of the 
division. 

We retained our position near the Con- 
federates. The 4th Michigan came to the 
front voluntarily and asked to be put on 
duty. They were kept with us to aid in 
repelling an expected counter attack. In 
the morning the brigade was relieved and 
Lieut. Lenfest of the 4th Michigan was 
severely wounded while his regiment was 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 281 

being withdrawn from its last tour of duty 
prior to its muster out. 

On tlie 2ist we marched to the rear and 
left, near the Jerusalem plank road, and 
were held in reserve. The campaign now 
assumed a new phase ; the capture of Peters- 
burg was to be diligently sought. Many 
conditions were more favorable for military 
operations than in the immediate vicinity 
of Richmond. The fevers of the Chicka- 
hominy were avoided, and our lines of sup- 
ply were more secure. The landings or 
terminals at City Point were ample, and 
Fortress Monroe only seventy miles distant, 
was the permanent base. The accumula- 
tion there of military supplies of every 
description was enormous. At first trans- 
portation from City Point was very difiicult 
and hard bread was the chief dependence, 
and more was needed than the legal ration, 
as small rations, beans, rice and vegetables, 
did not come forward for a long period. On 
one occasion hard bread was condemned in our 
brigade, and then divided as an extra ration. 



CHAPTER X. 

Line of 2nd Corps restored. — 32nd Massachusetts suf- 
fers. — Colonel Blaisdell of nth Massachusetts. — Gen- 
eral Meade present. — Morning reports of cumulative 
losses. — Lieut. Seitz's farwell to General Grifi5.n. — Suf- 
ficiently amused. — Colonel Gregory. — Lieut. Bourne. 
— The covering trenches. — Locomotive engineers and 
firemen on military roads. — The mine fiasco. — Drafted 
men faithful.— Battle of Weldon R. R.— Gallant 155th 
Pennsylvania. — Lieut. Bourne mortally wounded. — 
Reams Station. — Music cut off as if by a knife. — Bat- 
tles at Peeble's farm. — Return to the regiment. — 
Meade's narrow escape. — Arrival in Boston. 

During June 22nd, the 2nd Corps line, tlie 
right of which was on the Jerusalem road, 
engaged the Confederates and was forced 
back some distance on its right. Our 
brigade was ordered to aid in restoring its 
alignment. The situation was not serious 
and I heard the remark that ' ' It was not 
our mix," but we advanced cheerfully at 
about 4 P. M. As we filed across the road 
we lost many men by the shots from a 
battery, which were sent down it like balls 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 283 

in a bowling alley. The 32nd Massachu- 
setts Volunteers was nicked three or four 
times but moved steadily on. 

There was some misunderstanding that 
caused Colonel Sweitzer to send me to Gen- 
eral Griffin for instructions, and he was 
directed to act independently, but to co-op- 
erate vigorously, exercising his own judg- 
ment. The brigade formed in line in the 
woods, and the Confederates were checked, 
and aided by the troops near us of the 2nd 
Corps, a new picket line was established. 
This was very difficult in the dark as we 
were so near the rebels. I was assisted for 
several hours by Lieut. Bell of the 155th 
Pennsylvania, a new addition to the staff. 
We were in doubt about one little group 
which we saw ten yards from us, and chal- 
lenged it, falling flat at the same time. Our 
accent was recognized and drew its fire. 
We did not cultivate them any further ; the 
hint was sufficient and we slipped back. 

I met during the night Colonel Blaisdell 
of the nth Massachusetts. He was very 



284 MUSKKT AND SWORD. 

energetic, and careless regarding his per- 
sonal safety, and was mortally wounded 
before morning. At daylight we returned 
to our camp. The 22nd Massachusetts had 
four wounded ; among them was James 
Richardson of Company E, whom I have 
referred to in my account of the Mine Run 
campaign. 

Our army was not well fortified, our line 
was several miles in length and if broken 
could be flanked. The Confederate line was 
shorter and stronger, having many redoubts 
capable of successful defence even if sur- 
rounded. Late on the afternoon of the 
23rd, the brigade marched a mile south on 
the Jerusalem road, and formed line facing 
to the south. We were accompanied by 
the Maryland brigade, and Colonel Sweitzer 
as senior assumed command of the provis- 
ional division. General Meade was present 
with his escort and put it in line, and was 
very active in the preparations to meet an 
anticipated attack upon the rear of the left 
wing of our army. An order on manifold 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 285 

paper was received by Colonel Sweitzer 
tliat indicated that the withdrawal of a 
portion of the army to City Point was con- 
templated. I believe that General Hunt, 
Chief of Artillery for the army, was with 
General Meade, who it was evident meant 
to share our fortunes in battle. We re- 
mained here for one day and then returned 
to our old position. 

General Lee had on June 12th, detached 
General Early with ten thousand men on a 
foray to the Valley of the Shenandoah, 
and to menace Washington, and did not 
assail our left flank with a heavy force. 
Probably he did not think his army strong 
enough. Our situation on the left was 
critical for a week, but by that time we 
were securely anchored. Forts were con- 
structed on commanding sites along our 
whole line. They were substantial works 
with ditches and abatis, and also magazines 
for ammunition. Artillery was placed so as 
to enfilade every approach. These defences 
were impregnable against attacks of infan- 



286 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

try and light artillery. A thin line was 
all that was necessary to connect them. 
Troops could then be spared for offensive 
operations. 

The morning reports of the regiments in 
the brigade showed the casualties of the 
previous day, and also accumulative losses 
since March 4th. I recollect that after the 
1 8th of June the losses of the 22nd Massa- 
chusetts for the summer, since the crossing 
of the Rapidan, were 202 ; 60 of these were 
deaths. The total loss was fully 60 per 
cent, of its fighting force. The number of 
deaths was swollen to eighty by losses 
among the wounded in hospitals after 
first reports had been made. The other 
old battalions of the brigade had practi- 
cally the same record. We were joined 
about June 27th by the 91st Pennsylvania 
Volunteers, commanded by Colonel B. M. 
Gregory. 

The term of the 62nd Pennsylvania Vol- 
unteers expired with us on July 4th, and 
arrangements for its departure were very 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 287 

much in evidence, as the loss to the service 
of Colonel Sweitzer and Lieut. Seitz was 
also involved. 

When the situation had become compara- 
tively quiet, Colonel Sweitzer was busy with 
his correspondence and read me a letter that 
he had written to the widowed mother of 
Thomas Warren, the mounted orderly who 
was killed June i8th. It was very eloquent 
and sympathetic, and paid a deserved tribute 
to the poor fellow. It also unconsciously 
betrayed the warm heart of the writer, who 
was a gentleman in the noblest sense of the 
word. 

Lieut. Seitz had been long on the brigade 
staff and called upon General Griffin to pay 
his respects and bid him farewell, and gave 
me a graphic account of the interview. 
The general was very cordial in response 
to my friend's good wishes, and said he 
was sorry to see so many valuable officers 
leave the army, as there was much yet to be 
done. He added that the task on hand was 
an ugly one and good officers could not 



288 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

be spared. He said that if the lieutenant 
would remain he would induce the Governor 
of Pennsylvania to make him a captain, and 
would have him detailed upon his staff as 
an aide, without any clerical duties. He 
wished him to assist in handling the troops 
in action. Lieut. Seitz assured the general 
that he was deeply sensible of the compli- 
ment and would accept the proffer were it 
not for the fact that his widowed mother 
would be heart broken if he did not return 
with his regiment. He stated also, that 
the tension had been very severe upon him, 
and he must have a brief rest, and that to 
speak frankly he was for the present suffi- 
ciently amused. The general laughed at 
this expression, and observed that he real- 
ized that the service had been unrelenting 
in its exactions. I do not know if Lieut. 
Seitz again entered the army, but he un- 
doubtedly tried to do so after he had visited 
his relations and friends. 

Colonel Sweitzer on his return to Pitts- 
burg, Pa., was treated with great consider- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 289 

ation, and held for several years, or until his 
death in 1895, an important public office. 
He was brevetted a Brigadier General of 
U. S. Volunteers in 1865, which was a 
tardy acknowledgment of his services. 

Colonel B. M. Gregory of the 91st Penn- 
sylvania succeeded by virtue of his seniority 
to the command of the brigade. He had 
been wounded at Fredericksburg, December 
13th, 1862. He was of fine presence, and 
had for many years been conspicuous in 
Philadelphia as a leader in philanthropic 
work. I remained upon the staff, and had 
the advantage of being well known to the 
brigade, the 91st Pennsylvania alone ex- 
cepted. The above regiment was of high 
character, as it was experienced, and always 
did its work faithfully whenever ordered. 
It displayed courage and fortitude on many 
trying occasions. 

The 2 1 St Pennsylvania cavalry, dis- 
mounted, under the command of Major O. 
B. Knowles, improved in drill very fast, 
but left us early in September. First Lieut. 

20 



290 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

Robert T. Bourne of the 22nd Massacliu- 
setts was detailed as an aid on the staff by- 
Colonel Sweitzer, June 25th. He had been 
a private in the 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer 
Militia in the three months service, and 
enlisted as such in Company A, of the 22nd 
Massachusetts. He was very youthful in 
appearance, and with no support but his 
merit, rose finally to the rank of captain. 
He was reticent and a thinker. His con- 
trol over men was remarkable, and as a 
leader in action his calmness and courage 
were inspidring. 

It was rumored during the month of July, 
that an assault would soon be made upon 
the Confederate line, and that it would be 
preceded by a mine explosion. The work 
essential to cover the massing of troops and 
ordnance supplies at the extreme front was 
pushed to completion. Our previous expe- 
rience in digging was eclipsed, covering 
trenches were made parallel to the breast- 
works of the firing line, and were often 
not more than seventy-five yards from it. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 291 

These coverings were intersected by others 
accessible from our rear. The trenches or 
covered ways were twelve feet wide and six 
feet deep, with the earth from the excava- 
tion banked on the side towards the enemy 
in addition. The army wagons while in 
these covered ways were secure from a hori- 
zontal fire ; shells exploding over them 
could inflict damage but were not con- 
sidered. Provision was made for every 
conceivable contingency including the shel- 
ter of relieving forces and their advance to 
the extreme front with the least possible 
exposure. I visited the front near the Jeru- 
salem road. The Confederate line was only 
150 yards distant, and was fortified similarly 
to ours. The breastwork was substantial 
enough to resist direct shots from artillery, 
and bomb proofs were made for protection 
against shells from mortar bombs. These 
annoying missiles descended almost verti- 
cally. Watchers would give warning, and 
the men endangered would scramble under 
cover. These shelters were generally part- 



292 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

ly underground and covered with logs and 
earth. A military railroad was built with- 
out strict attention to the grade, connecting 
with the Petersburg and City Point R. R., 
and was afterwards extended as our environ- 
ment lengthened. In some places it was 
within the range of the Confederate artil- 
lery, and was shielded only by a bank of 
earth, just high enough to screen the car 
wheels. The besieged soon became weary 
of wasting their ammunition for purposes of 
annoyance, as they could not succeed in 
their attempts to injure the locomotives. 
The engineers and firemen on the various 
military railroads were civilians but faced 
danger with remarkable courage and 
fidelity. 

Upon July 29th the 5th Corps moved into 
the covered ways near the 9th Corps, to 
participate if practicable in the contempla- 
ted grand assault to follow the explosion 
of a mine, under an important position of 
the Confederates. The explosion occurred 
between 4 and 5 a. m. on the next day, and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 293 

the concussion was not astounding where 
we were. The enemy's works in our imme- 
diate front were held with undiminished 
strength. It was soon seen that the design 
had failed, as the infantry assault was 
checked. Its feasibility with a gap of only 
one hundred and sixty feet in breadth was 
doubtful, even if other conditions were 
favorable. The details of the attack were 
not worked out either with intelligence or 
care. Arrangements were not made for 
the infantry of the 9th Corps to scale its 
entrenchments in line of battle and spring 
forward to the charge without an instant's 
delay. It was compelled to file through a 
narrow opening and form in line after the 
explosion, and in the meantime the enemy 
recovered from the surprise and rallied to 
the defence. 

The retention of General Burnside in com- 
maud of the 9th Corps had been regarded 
with disfavor by the army, and now his 
retirement soon followed. The white 
troops of the 9th Corps were very good, 



294 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

but the colored troops were weak in the 
general character of their officers, and had 
been used mainly for fatigue work and the 
guarding of trains, and I believe it was a 
mistake to have selected them for this des- 
perate venture. The Confederates would 
fight the *' Smoked Yanks," as they termed 
the colored troops, with a fiercer desperation 
than that which they evinced in their strug- 
gle with whites. Several mortars, throwing 
bombs ten inches in diameter, were used for 
several hours on this day. The bombs or 
balls could be seen with the naked eye soar- 
ing fully 500 feet aloft and descending at 
the same angle as that of their ascent. 
Their fuses were cut so as to cause them to 
burst as they struck the earth, and it was 
claimed that several tons of dirt would be 
dispi'jJCCd by each explosion. No ordinary 
bomb shelter wo^'M protect its occupants. 
The only recourse against a bomh of t>^« 
size was to watch its flight and give it 
speedy possession of the vicinity where it 
seemed that its journey would end. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 295 

Upon the 9th of July, two divisions of 
the 6th Corps embarked for Washington. 
They had been preceded by Ricketts's Di- 
vision of the same corps. It was under- 
stood that General Grant was averse to 
sending reinforcements from the army con- 
fronting Lee to the aid of the forces defend- 
ing Washington, but the emergency was so 
grave that he was obliged to consent. The 
military situation, after the mine fiasco, 
was disappointing. Sherman was before 
Atlanta and held at bay, Banks had been 
defeated on the Red River, in Louisiana, 
and Early was in strong force in the Shen- 
andoah Valley. The pressure however was 
beginning to tell upon the Confederacy and 
discouraged its armies. Desertions were be- 
coming more numerous, and their ranks 
could not be kept full either by enlistment 
or conscription. Drafted men, who accept- 
ed the decree that called them into our service 
as that of fate and came to the front as re- 
cruits, were as a class, excellent soldiers, 
and no stigma should be attached to them. 



296 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

The 22nd Mass. Volunteers was ordered to 
City Point, August 7, for guard duty there. 
It was so reduced in numbers by losses in 
action, that this consideration was due to it. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Sherwin and Captain 
Walter Davis remained on the division staff, 
and Lieut. R. T. Bourne and I upon that of 
the brigade, and consequently saw some 
service that the regiment did not. 

Upon August 14 a concerted campaign 
was begun ; its object was to prevent Gen- 
eral Lee from reinforcing General Early 
and to seize the Weldon railroad. General 
Hancock crossed the James with the 2nd 
Corps to threaten Richmond, and remained 
there until the 20th. The 5th Corps, upon 
the i8th, moved upon the Weldon railroad 
at Globe Tavern, four miles distant. The 
opposition encountered was very light on 
that day, but on the next day the corps was 
attacked and fought an indecisive battle. 
Our division was only slightly engaged. 

During the 20th, General Warren, being 
satisfied that a strenuous effort would be 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 297 

made to dislodge him, changed his position 
to one better adapted for defence. Our bri- 
gade however was not more favorably- 
placed ; it was on the extreme left of the 
corps, and its left rested upon an open field 
which was guarded by a small force of cav- 
alry which did not belong to our corps. 

The task of establishing a picket-line was 
very difficult. The 32nd Mass. Volunteers 
was assigned to that duty and I was busy 
for several hours with them, and was given 
indispensable aid by their officers. The es- 
sential thing in this work is to make con- 
nections on the flanks, leaving no break or 
gap ; and as we were in thick woods in this 
instance, the duty was a severe test of my 
patience. I went to the pickets early, on 
the 2ist, and spent an hour or so there, and 
found that Colonel Edmands had corrected 
some errors that could not be avoided in the 
night. 

When I returned to the brigade, I found 
that the 21st Penn. Dismounted Cavalry 
had been placed wisely by Colonel Gregory 



298 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

in the woods on the edge .of the field. Its 
position was at right angles with that of 
the other regiments of the brigade and of 
the general battle-front of the corps. The 
Confederate force consisted of Hill's Corps 
and Hoke's Division and a division of cav- 
alry, and the onslaught was very deter- 
mined along nearly our whole line. Lieu- 
tenant Bourne and I were busy on the left, 
as that soon seemed to be the objective 
point. When the enemy, about ii A. m., 
began to enter the field, I joined the 21st 
Penn. Dismounted Cavalry. It kept up an 
effective fire, and held its ground with stub- 
born determination. But the assailants 
were gaining steadily. I consulted for a 
moment with Lieutenant Bourne. He 
agreed with me that immediate help was 
necessary, and I galloped down the road. 
Colonel Gregory was near the left, but in 
the woods ; his place was rightly chosen to 
direct his command against an attack upon 
the front. Our breastwork was very sub- 
stantial, and the enemy had made that dis- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 299 

covery and were avoiding it and trying to 
flank us. 

The i55tli Pennsylvania was larger than 
the 91st Pennsylvania and had about 600 
men in the ranks, and I resolved to call 
upon them for sharp and decisive work. As 
I passed Colonel Gregory he asked me 
where I was going. I replied that I did not 
have time to explain ; this was the exact 
truth. I ordered Colonel A. L. Pearson, of 
the 155th Penn., to face his regiment to the 
left and double-quick into the field, and 
then front and charge. The order was in- 
stantly obeyed ; the battalion was en- 
thusiastic, and executed the manoeuvre 
magnificently, advancing in line of battle 
upon the rebels with a cheer of defiance. 
The small cavalry force on their left 
charged at the same time and the enemy 
gave way. Lieutenant Bourne was very 
active and was wounded, as we went for- 
ward with the troops in the charge, either 
by a buckshot or pistol ball. The 155th 
Pennsylvania was highly elated by its brill- 



300 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

iant success, which caused much comment. 

In a half hour after this episode, General 
Griffin appeared, followed by two brigades 
and a battery. The main attack on the 
right had been defeated, and he had hast- 
ened to guard his left flank. Lieutenant 
George H. Ackerman, of the 22nd Massa- 
chusetts, was in charge of the brigade am- 
bulances. He was originally a private in 
Co. A with Lieutenant Bourne. We were 
solicitous about our friend, and at 6 p. M., 
after the engagement, we rode to the divi- 
sion field hospital to see him. It was lo- 
cated a mile in the rear and consisted of 
four large tents, each being of the dimen- 
sions of 16 ft. by 35 ft. They were filled 
with the wounded, many of whom were 
Confederates, and all received faithful at- 
tention. 

We found Lieutenant Bourne in a very 
comfortable condition. The wound was in 
the calf of a leg. The ball had barely 
lodged and had been easily removed. We 
all felt that he had escaped lightly and 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 301 

would fully recover before the expiration of 
his term in October. We parted in excel- 
lent spirits ; all the anxiety manifested was 
by him for us. He was retained at a hos- 
pital in City Point for a few days, and we 
heard from him there as improving rapidly. 
He was then sent to Philadelphia and was 
joined by his mother. He had been en- 
feebled by hardships and gangrene super- 
vened, causing his death on September 23. 
His friends in the army were shocked ; they 
had just received notice of his promotion to 
the rank of captain. 

General Hancock, with the 2nd Corps, 
moved down the Weld on railroad to destroy 
it for thirteen miles, and on the 25th was 
attacked at Reams's station, four miles 
south of us, by Hill's Corps. The 5th 
Corps was ordered under arms to support 
our comrades, but waited for a request from 
General Hancock for aid, before marching. 
Lieutenant- Colonel Thomas Sherwin, who 
was on Griffin's staff, called on General 
Hancock early in the day, and was assured 



302 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

by him that he could easily hold his lines. 
General Miles was, on this date, in com- 
mand for the first time of a division in 
battle. During the afternoon, some new 
troops, which were placed in a strong posi- 
tion, supposed to be impregnable, gave way, 
and the corps was badly beaten. This 
was so sudden and unexpected that we did 
not have an opportunity to take part in the 
action. General Hancock complained that 
the character of the recruits had deterio- 
rated and that in some regiments the major- 
ity of the men were undrilled recruits who 
could not speak the English language. 
There were many Belgians among the re- 
cruits. The poor fellows seemed willing to 
do their duty, but understood neither 
German nor French, and were of very little 
value. There was quite a detachment of 
this element received at this time by the 
32nd Mass. Volunteers. The effect was in- 
jurious upon the old troops. It discouraged 
them, as it gave the impression that the 
country was becoming either exhausted or 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 303 

indifferent. The Pennsylvania recruits 
were to the last desirable men, patriotic 
and stalwart citizens. 

An order was issued during the summer, 
directing that all enlisted men in our ranks 
who had been in the Confederate service, 
should be sent to Army Headquarters for 
transfer to the forces fighting the Indians. 
There were several in our brigade ; two or 
three were in the 32nd Massachusetts and 
had fine records with it. They enlisted at 
the prison camps in the North, and could 
expect no mercy from the rebels if captured 
by them. Their identity was unmistak- 
able ; their dialect and peculiar smile and 
expression when pleased could not be 
counterfeited. The rank and file in the 
Confederate army w^hen prisoners, were 
ordinarily very patient, and many had mis- 
givings concerning the justice of their 
cause. Some of them said it was the rich 
man's war and the poor man's fight. 

Large details for fatigue duty were re- 
quired, as a defensive line was being ex- 



304 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

tended in close proximity to one in process 
of construction by tlie enemy. General 
Hancock had a band in his corps, and di- 
rected that it should be placed in a shel- 
tered position and enliven the workers with 
patriotic airs. The Confederates fired a 
shell which went over the dispensers of har- 
mony and the music stopped as though it 
had been cut off with a knife, and a shout 
of derision arose from both lines. The 
music in nearly all the regiments was that 
furnished by buglers ; even the fife and 
drum were almost obsolete in the Army of 
the Potomac in 1864. Our troops never ad- 
vanced to battle accompanied by the strains 
of martial music. It was at one time sup- 
posed that bugle calls could be used success- 
fully in directing in action the skirmishing 
lines. Colonel Gove, in drilling us, would 
sound the calls. It was ascertained that 
very many could never learn to distinguish 
them. In practical warfare, the calls on 
the bugle would warn the enemy of our 
movements. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 305 

We remained for several weeks near the 
Globe Tavern on the Weldon Railroad. 
The cavalry was on picket duty, south of 
us, and was in continual touch with the 
enemy. On the afternoon of a September 
day, the Confederate infantry made a vigor- 
ous attack upon this force. Our brigade 
came to its assistance and found our com- 
rades dismounted and fighting desperately 
in small groups. They were very glad to 
see the infantry and to hear the sound of its 
musketry when it deployed and advanced. 
The rebels soon abandoned their assault. 

In this month we received inspiring news 
from Sherman and Sheridan. Military in- 
formation of all descriptions was promptly 
imparted to the army, and this considera- 
tion was appreciated. I recall one circular, 
in which General Grant said that General 
Early was retreating to the Potomac and 
the authorities in Washington believed he 
would be intercepted. The general added 
sententiously, ''I doubt it." Sherman's 
celebrated dispatch of September 4, 1864, 

21 



306 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

announcing, '* Atlanta is ours, and fairly- 
won! ^' was hailed as the precursor of our 
final success. 

Upon September 30tli Griffin^s and 
Ayres's divisions of the 5th Corps moved 
to the left about two miles and attacked the 
enemy at Peeble's farm. The intrench- 
ment assailed was quite strong, but our di- 
vision swept over it with slight loss. We 
crossed 600 yards over a field under fire. 
Colonel Welch of the i6th Michigan was 
killed, and Colonel Edmands of the 32nd 
Massachusetts wounded. Our troops were 
immediately ordered to prepare for the 
counter attack that it was supposed the 
Confederates would deliver when rein- 
forced. Wilcox's and Potter's divisons of 
the 9th Corps soon passed through our line 
to the front, and we withdrew at noon from 
the breastwork and stacked arms, and 
awaited further orders. The day was de- 
lightful and we were in excellent humor, 
feeling that our work was over for the time 
and well done. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 307 

At 5.30 P. M. a sustained musketry fire 
was heard in our front, and it was plain 
that the 9th Corps had been defeated and 
was being followed. The brigade took 
arms and filed to the left and faced to 
the front, so as to advance in line of battle 
through a narrow belt of woods into a field 
in which there was a commanding undula- 
tion. By common consent this little eleva- 
tion was our objective point. There was a 
narrow road through the woods and Colonel 
Gregory and I were riding over it when 
General Griffin and his staff galloped furi- 
ously past us to the front. His division flag, 
rectangular in shape with a red Maltese 
cross on white ground, was conspicuous. I 
then observed that our brigade color was 
absent and called Colonel Gregory's atten- 
tion to it. He stopped and shouted for the 
mounted orderly who was its bearer. I 
rode on into the field and overtook the color 
sergeant of the 32nd Massachusetts Volun- 
teers who was a sprinter and ahead of his 
battalion, which was emerging from the 



308 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

woods, and hastening to the front, I told 
him to wait for his regiment. It came into 
line in a moment and with the 91st and 
155th Pennsylvania occupied the defensive 
position indicated, and checked the enemy. 
Our men fired while lying down, and Gen- 
eral Griffin put artillery about twenty yards 
behind them, and as it was unmasked by 
the staff officers who were riding to and fro 
in rear of the infantry it would hurl solid 
shot at a lively rate. General Grifiin was 
with us, and five out of eight horses ridden 
by him and his staff were shot. I had 
a scrub mount furnished by the quarter- 
master. He seemed invulnerable. 

I was the only representative of the brig- 
ade headquarters present with the brigade, 
and after the action had continued for twenty 
minutes it became necessary to move to the 
left. I considered it presumptuous for me 
to continue the palpable fiction of giving 
orders in Colonel Gregory^s name. I asked 
the three commanders of the regiments if 
they knew where he was and receiving re- 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 309 

plies in the negative, I remarked that he must 
have been wounded, and notified Colonel 
A. L. Pearson of the 155th Pennsylvania 
Volunteers, that, being the ranking officer 
present, the command devolved upon him. 
Colonel Pearson gave the necessary orders for 
a slight movement and in a few moments 
the fight was virtually over, and the 9th 
Corps relieved us. 

As we were about to withdraw Colonel 
Gregory and nearly all of his staff came up. 
He spoke to me censoriously, asking where 
I had been, and said he had been uneasy 
about me. This was too much for my 
patience, and I replied that I had been with 
the brigade. This closed the discussion, 
and our relations became at once cordial. 
I learned that Colonel Gregory had been in 
the woods which skirted the right of the 
field during the engagement. If he had not 
lost the brigade it certainly had lost him. 
General Meade inspected the new positions 
within a day or two and was attended by 
several staff officers. I saw a shell whose 



310 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

flight was nearly ended desend in the group. 
General Meade's escape was very narrow ; 
two or three who were beside him were 
struck. 

Upon October 3rd, 1864, I left the brig- 
ade to join my regiment at City Point, as it 
was about to depart for Boston to be mus- 
tered out. Colonel Gregory was very cor- 
dial in his expressions of regard, and offered 
to aid in securing me a field officer's com- 
mission from the Governor of Pennsylvania. 
Our association had been very agreeable on 
the whole. The only unpleasant episode 
was the brief conversation after the evening 
battle upon September 30th. I had pre- 
served strict silence regarding the incident, 
and my opinion of his leadership. 

We left City Point October 5th, and were 
in Washington on the evening of the 6th, 
and remained there a day and were then 
provided with transportation on box freight 
cars, and arrived in Baltimore at 9 p. m. 
The air was very chilly but no shelter was 
furnished, and the regiment slept upon the 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 311 

sidewalks. We continued our journey in 
the box cars to Philadelphia, and were 
detained there nearly thirty-six hours. We 
were quartered in a comfortable building, 
and given our meals by the citizens, whose 
hospitality remained undiminished to the 
last, making a record for patriotism and 
hospitality that will forever endear their 
city to the American people. 

We arrived in Boston October loth, and 
were given a very cordial reception, but 
there was nought more eloquent than our 
thinned ranks to the spectators and our- 
selves. Those who were gone were not 
forgotten by their comrades, and let us 
hope that those who perished for their 
country or who served it faithfully under 
arms, will live forever in the memory of a 
grateful nation. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Muster out.— Views of Senator Wilson October 17th, 
1864. — Visit to Washington. — Casey's board. — Lin- 
coln's remark. — Arrival at the front. — Colored 
troops. — Observations of Lieut. Ackerman. — The 54th 
Massachusetts. — Brevet commissions. — Interview with 
General Grifl&n. — President Lincoln's levee. — His ap- 
pearance physically. — Outworn by toil and care. — 
The veterans and the people. — Liquor in the army. — 
Present system opposed. — Recognition of merit a 
potent factor. — Volunteers keep army in touch with 
the people. — Thomas Scott's services. — Compensa- 
tions for prolonged war. — Effusive demonstrations 
deprecated. — Change in the methods caused by tele- 
graph and press. Glorious to live for the country. — 
Valedictory. 

When we assembled on Boston Common 
October lyth, 1864, for muster out, Senator 
Henry Wilson was present and warmly- 
greeted. He was as usual very frank in 
his expressions, and said he was not satis- 
fied with the situation despite recent suc- 
cesses which did not seem to him conclu- 
sive. General Hood was operating against 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 313 

Sberman^s communications with considera- 
ble success, and was very elusive. The 
Senator was troubled by the activity of 
the southern sympathizers in Indiana and 
Illinois. He dwelt upon the grave nature 
of the financial problems to be solved, say- 
ing that the expenditures were enormous 
and that our resources were being taxed to 
the utmost. I knew that he had full in- 
formation and was sanguine in tempera- 
ment, and that after the defeat at Freder- 
icksburg in December, 1862, he was full of 
energy and determination, and his uneasi- 
ness impressed me unfavorably. 

Upon October 19th, General Early was 
defeated decisively at Cedar Creek, Va., and 
the success of the Union arms in the Shen- 
andoah Valley was henceforth undisputed. 
President Lincoln was re-elected in Novem- 
ber, 1864 ; he had less than seven thousand 
majority over General McClellan in New 
York. McClellan repudiated the platform 
of the convention which nominated him. 
It declared that the war was a failure and 



314 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

that assertion was the issue of tlie political 
campaign. If I^incoln had been defeated 
at the polls it is difficult to believe that the 
Union cause would have triumphed. 

It had been the intention of several 
officers of the 22nd Massachusetts to raise 
a new regiment, with the old designation 
if possible, and the officers of the new regi- 
ment were to be selected from members of 
the old organization. It was believed that 
this project was feasible, but it was soon 
ascertained that the government would not 
sanction it. It adopted the sound policy of 
sending all recruits to veteran regiments, at 
the wrong time for us. 

I was anxious to remain in the service to 
the end, and in January, 1865, went to 
Washington and tried to secure an appoint- 
ment as Assistant Adjutant General, with 
an assignment to a brigade stafi. I had 
very good papers ; among them were two 
commendatory letters from all the officers 
present with the 32nd Massachusetts and 
155 th Pennsylvania Volunteers. These 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 315 

were prepared and mailed to me after I had 
reached my home. I called upon Senator 
Wilson and Representative Gooch for in- 
formation and assistance, and learned that 
no more appointments would be made of 
staff officers. It was suggested that I 
should go before General Casey's board for 
the examination of candiates for commis- 
sions in the colored troops. 

This gave me an opportunity to present 
the opinions that existed in the army 
regarding the methods which were prac- 
tised by that board. When it was first 
instituted much interest was excited among 
the rank and file of the veteran regiments, 
and it seemed very probable that they 
would lose very many valuable non-commis- 
sioned ofiicers. It was soon discovered that 
the tests were not practical, but scholastic 
and theoretical, and men whose records 
would secure commissions in their regi- 
ments if vacancies existed, failed to pass 
examination. Sergeants like Philip Wen- 
zell who could ably command a battalion 



316 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

in battle were rejected. Students from a 
preparatory school at Philadelphia and 
graduates of educational institutions suc- 
ceeded. I remarked to the Senator that I 
could not pass as good an examination as 
when I first enlisted, as I had forgotten 
much of my text book lore in the strenuous 
and absorbing work of actual warfare. 

He was much interested. I probably con- 
firmed statements he had heard from others, 
and he offered me a commission as major in 
the colored troops, without examination. I 
knew he could secure it, as General Casey 
had been ignored repeatedly, but asked time 
for consideration, as I wished to consult my 
friends in the army. 

President Lincoln had a short time before 
written to the War Department, directing 
that an officer having an excellent record be 
commissioned in the colored troops, without 
reference to his knowledge relative to the 
color of Julius Caesar's wife's hair. 

I obtained without much difiSculty a per- 
mit to visit the army, and took passage 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 317 

Upon a steamer from Washington to City 
Point, and from thence I made my way to 
the camps of the ist Division of the 5th 
Corps, near Poplar Spring Church, not far 
from the scene of our battles at Peeble's 
Farm September 30th, 1864. I found the 
veteran regiments of the division in the 3rd 
Brigade. It consisted of the 20th Maine, 
32nd Massachusetts, ist Michigan, i6th 
Michigan, 83rd Pennsylvania, 91st Pennsyl- 
vania, 1 1 8th Pennsylvania and 155th Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers. It was under the 
command of General J. J. Bartlett, and the 
next ranking officer was Colonel A. Iv. 
Pearson of the 155th Pennsylvania, and he 
had the command of the brigade for a con- 
siderable portion of the time. He was at 
its head during the pursuit of General Lee 
from Petersburg, as General Bartlett had 
relieved General Griffin when he assumed 
command of the corps in place of General 
Warren. Colonel Gregory was in command 
of a brigade composed of the 187th and 
i88th New York Volunteers. It was sup- 



318 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

posed that the object in thus reorganizing 
the division was to place the seasoned 
troops in a brigade, that could be im- 
plicitly relied upon in every possible emer- 
gency. 

I was the guest of my friends in the 32nd 
Massachusetts and 155th Pennsylvania, and 
was very cordially welcomed. Lieut. Acker- 
man had re-enlisted in the winter of 1863- 
64, and was now in the 32nd Massachusetts, 
and had been promoted to the charge of all 
the ambulances of the division, and was in 
high favor with General Griffin. He pos- 
sessed good judgment and his opportunities 
for observation were exceptional. I knew 
him to be free from race prejudice, and 
asked his advice regarding the acceptance 
of the commission in the colored troops 
proffered me by Senator Wilson. He was 
very frank and positive in his opinion, and 
stated that during my absence a campaign 
had been undertaken in which the 9th 
Corps participated. I suppose it was the 
Hatcher's Run movement. He further said 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 319 

that his duties were such that he could 
observe the behavior of all the troops em- 
ployed. The marching was not trying but 
severe fighting was anticipated, and the 
woods were thronged with colored strag- 
glers ; their officers did not control them. 
They were with but few exceptions inex- 
perienced and the men knew it, and did not 
in the presence of danger respect them or 
accept their leadership. The memory of 
their subserviency to their former masters 
was an incubus upon them, and the spell 
could only be broken successfully by the 
authority and example of officers of long 
experience and desperate resolution. 

The advice of Lieut. Ackerman not to 
accept was approved generally by many 
friends, and was conclusive with me. 
These troops were very tractable in camp 
and were almost perfect in drill, and Gen- 
eral Casey's methods would have sufficed for 
a peace establishment, but for the service 
then required in the presence of an infuriated 
enemy they were inadequate. The colored 



320 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

men absolutely needed better officers than 
the white troops, but under this system 
were commanded by those who as a class 
were inferior in the essential quality of 
intrepidity to the leaders of the veteran bat- 
talions of European descent. 

The 54th Massachusetts, a colored regi- 
ment under Colonel Shaw, and his fine 
corps of commissioned officers appointed by 
Governor Andrew, was a noble regiment. 
The colored troops in the West, where they 
were organized upon a different theory, and 
properly commanded were very efficient. 
The colored troops in the 9th Corps were, 
shortly after the Hatcher^s Run campaign, 
transferred to the Army of the James. 

I learned that recommendations for brevet 
commissions had been called for. The pur- 
pose was to recognize service rendered dur- 
ing the campaigns of 1864. The inquiry 
was made of me by my friends if I had been 
honored, and the impression was general that 
Colonel Gregory had ignored me. The 
names of many others had been announced 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 321 

unofficially from many sources, and the 
inference was unfavorable to me. The 
indignation in the 32nd Massachusetts and 
155th Pennsylvania was intense and freely 
expressed, and while I desired justice I 
wished my friends to be discreet, and so 
informed them. I waited for three days 
and called upon General Griffin, and was 
very cordially received. He discussed the 
peninsular campaign of 1862, in a very 
able manner, and gave his opinion of 
General Crawford with startling frankness. 
He made no reflection upon his courage, 
but questioned his ability. In reply to a 
remark by me to the effect that I had not 
been treated justly, he suggested that I 
should call upon Colonel Gregory, and say 
that General Griffin had requested me to 
wait upon him, and state that something 
had been forgotten, and should be made 
right. I followed the advice. Colonel 
Gregory was very pleasant and adroit. 
His political training came in play, and 
he adopted the general's hint, and said he 

22 



322 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

had forgotten me, and asked what I wanted. 
I replied that as the rest of the staff had 
been remembered it was a reflection upon 
me to be unnoticed, and that I would be 
satisfied with one grade. He promised to 
send my name up for that. 

Several months later I was informed 
officially that I had been commissioned a 
Brevet Lieut. Colonel U. S. Volunteers, 
which was one rank higher than I expected, 
and I am convinced that I owe it to General 
Charles Griffin. 

When General G. K. Warren was relieved 
the following April at Five Forks, from the 
command of the 5th Corps, General Griffin 
was made his successor, though as I inferred 
from a remark made by him in January, 
that General Crawford was the senior, and 
displayed great skill and vigor in the pur- 
suit of the army of General Lee. He died 
soon after the war, while in command of an 
important district in Texas. He was urged 
to leave, as yellow fever was raging. He 
replied that it would be too much like 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 323 

abandoning men under fire, and remained 
and perished a victim of the scourge. His 
death was felt with the force of a family- 
affliction by thousands who had served 
under him, and is never recalled at their 
gatherings without evoking deep emotion. 
His life was an inspiring example in every 
path of duty. 

I remained in Washington for a few days, 
and was present at a public reception or 
levee by the President, at the White House. 
The attendance was not very large, and I 
had an opportunity to see our great chief. 
He was very genial in manner, and escorted 
several ladies in turn in a promenade among 
his guests in the East Room. I was much 
shocked by the change in his appearance 
since the spring of 1863, when he reviewed 
the army before the Chancellorsville cam- 
paign. He stooped very much, and was 
somewhat emaciated and seemed to be 
feeble, and looked like an invalid whose end 
was not far off. It is doubtful whether he 
would have lived two years if he had escaped 



324 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

the bullet of the assassin. In 1861 he was 
vigorous and young physically for his years. 
In 1865 his semblance was that of a man of 
seventy years, outworn by toil and care. At 
this time he was not quite 56 years old. 

It was obvious that the people did not 
regard the veteran soldiers with the confi- 
dence that they deserved, and did not stop 
to discriminate between those whose service 
had been at the front, and others who had 
been subjected to the demoralizing influen- 
ces of garrison duty. The contest was so 
near that the masses could not clearly per- 
ceive its lights and shadows, and were dazed 
and bewildered by the procession of wonder- 
ful events, and could only grasp mentally 
great results. The men who were steadfast 
at the front, were animated by a devotion to 
duty that has made them valuable citizens 
since the war. Their loyalty to the cause was 
not blind and unreasoning. Other armies 
were animated by equal enthusiasm, but 
none ever represented more intelligently the 
highest aspirations of a mighty people. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 325 

The war in its sterner aspects demanded 
strict obedience to orders, and tlie most 
strenuous physical efforts by the combat- 
ants. It developed many of the noblest 
traits of human nature. Common suffer- 
ings and dangers created friendships that 
were as strong as the ties of kindred. The 
word comrade had a deep significance at the 
front. Many who in civil life would be 
regarded as selfish would risk their lives 
freely to rescue their friends. Those who 
served long on the firing lines undoubtedly 
left the army with a higher conception of 
the nobility of human nature than they 
entertained when they enrolled. There 
existed among us an element composed 
of brave and capable men, who declined 
promotion preferring to remain on equal 
footing with old associates in the ranks, con- 
tent like "Warren at Bunker Hill, to serve in 
an humble position. Thousands perishing 
in the gloom of defeat met their fate with 
heroic patience, their reward on earth being 
the consciousness of duty nobly done. 



326 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

" Tis not the grapes of Canaan that repay, 
But the high faith that failed not by the way." 

War on the whole is demoralizing, espec- 
ially in its ramifications at the rear in gar- 
risons, and as a factor in civil life. It is 
simply legalized murder and is justifiable 
only when necessary to avert a greater evil. 

The people believed that their soldiers 
had become addicted to the use of liquor, 
and would be inefficient in business in con- 
sequence. This impression was erroneous, 
although commissioned officers in the field 
could buy whiskey of the commissary, and 
the privilege was often abused. Company 
commanders would at their discretion favor 
their men with orders for whiskey, and as 
much care was exercised very little harm 
resulted. The government ration was about 
a gill per man. I do not believe that it 
was issued a dozen times in our regiment 
during the whole term of its service. In the 
summer of 1864 the teams were not accessi- 
ble from May 4th to June 12th, and there 
was a whiskey famine for that period, but 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 327 

it did not provoke much complaint. Fully 
four fifths of our men when they enlisted 
were not addicted to the use of liquor, but 
the large majority would take it if issued ; 
many would refuse it or give it to some 
friend. I recollect that an order was at one 
time promulgated directing that whiskey 
should not be issued to those who did not 
drink it. 

I believe that the above conditions exist 
to-day, and that the theory that the enlisted 
men will obtain liquor at all hazards, and 
that they should be supplied with malt 
beverages at the Canteens, or authorized 
supply stores, is a fallacy. The govern- 
ment tries to secure recruits of good habits, 
and should not give aid to demoralizing 
influences. If at any time it is deemed 
necessary for the health of the troops, whis- 
key can be issued to those who wish for it. 
I am clearly of the opinion that it could 
easily be of a better grade than that fur- 
nished during the civil war. Quinine was 
compounded with it when it was first issued 



328 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

on the Peninsula. It gave variety to the 
flavor if it did not improve it. 

I saw in the Canteen at Fort Bayard, 
New Mexico, in October, 1894, soldiers 
who had made too free use of its bar. If 
officers and men become unfitted for duty 
owing to the use of liquor, under the same 
general regulations as existed during the 
war, they should be discharged from the 
service. 

Intemperate men are worthless in the 
army, and attempts should not be made to 
reform chronic cases ; evil examples should 
be treated as nuisances and promptly abated. 
Good material is abundant, and our gallant 
army should in every respect creditably 
represent the people. 

The volunteers in the civil war were the 
forceful embodiment of the intelligence, 
martial spirit and conscience of the people. 
They enlisted with the expectation of fight- 
ing, were enthusiasts for the cause, and 
desired to return if spared, to their old 
homes, with reputations that would honor 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 329 

their declining years, and be prized as an 
inheritance by their descendants. 

Recognition of merit is an inspiring and 
potent factor in the ranks. In the volun- 
teer service, commissions in the lowest 
grade were, as a rule, filled by promotion 
from the enlisted men. The tenure of 
commissions, like the term of service, was 
comparatively brief, and it was feasible to 
eliminate the inefficient by inviting their 
resignations and giving them honorable 
discharges. Those who thus left the army 
were not subjected to any hardship, as they 
were not deprived of permanent positions. 
Very many valuable officers, whose resigna- 
tions were reluctantly accepted, also left 
the service for various reasons, and added 
to them were those incapacitated by sick- 
ness and wounds. 

The result of these causes was an almost 
complete change in the personnel of the 
commissioned officers on duty with their 
companies. This brought the natural lead- 
ers to the front, and the effect was salutary. 



330 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

A volunteer army, based upon the militia, 
can with a preliminary organization that is 
practicable, be readily mobilized. The 
volunteers keep the army, including its ad- 
ministrative departments, in touch with the 
people, and give it the benefit of intelligent 
criticism from a business standpoint. The 
failure of the supply service of the British 
army in the Crimean war, and the collapse 
of the entire French military system, in 
the war of 1870 with Germany, illustrate 
the dangers of extreme conservatism and 
exemption from free inspection and frank 
discussion. Intelligent and zealous in- 
experience seems preferable to the dry rot 
of complacent conceit. 

The great problems in transportation, 
and in the management of other large busi- 
ness interests, have been successfully 
solved by men whose executive ability can 
be utilized by the government during a 
period of active warfare. Thomas Scott of 
the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, and 
other civilians, rendered invaluable aid in 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 331 

transferring the nth and i2tli Corps of the 
Army of the Potomac to Tennessee. 
Twenty thousand men with artillery and 
trains were massed in Washington, and in 
six days were placed in Bridgport, Tenn., 
994 ^miles distant. The lines used were 
single track and in only fair condition. 
These troops, under Hooker, reopened the 
lines of communication that were essential 
for the supply of our half-starved army at 
Chattanooga, which the Confederates re- 
garded as their assured prey. 

The transfer of troops from the two con- 
tending armies in Virginia to the west was 
of far-reaching benefit, as it taught the 
country the nature of the struggle in the 
east. The corps of General Longstreet was 
far superior in fighting qualities to General 
Bragg's, whom it came to assist. General 
Meade stated in an address, shortly before 
his death, that sixty-seven per cent, of the 
casualties incurred by the Union forces dur- 
ing the war were in the Army of the Poto- 
mac. No attempt has been made to refute 



332 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

his assertion. This army represented every 
section of the loyal North, and its survivors 
are widely dispersed, and cherish fondly rem- 
iniscences of its sufferings and achievements. 

As our army was disbanded foreign writ- 
ers and publicists predicted that disorder 
would prevail, and many even in the North 
shared that belief, which time has proved 
mistaken. The veterans entered upon their 
campaign in civic life as conservative and 
law-abiding citizens, who appreciated the 
cost of our institutions and have been a 
safeguard instead of a menace to public 
tranquillity. 

When in the far distant future their 
merits shall be weighed, this will be con- 
sidered as among the strongest of their 
claims to the grateful regard of posterity. 

They have been willing to forgive much 
in the interest of peace and harmony, and 
have done much to check the fury of 
non-combatants that is always rampant 
after a civil war. We will not forget our 
comrades, or cease to honor their memory, 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 333 

and cheerfully accord to our former foes the 
same privilege regarding their dead, and 
would have but little respect for them if 
they were indifferent to those who fought 
with such indomitable valor for what they 
considered a sacred cause. Our triumph 
was that of a humane nationality, and 
placed the prosperity of the country upon 
assured foundations. The importance of 
the material results is universally conceded 
in the South by thoughtful people. That 
section is bound by business ties to the 
Union as closely as Scotland is to England. 
As Scotland cherishes the fame of its 
heroes who fought so gallantly against its 
powerful neighbor, so can our Southern 
brethren exult in the valor and fortitude 
displayed by their troops in the war of the 
Rebellion. We can regard their homage 
to the past with equanimity, and even with 
admiration, and in full confidence that it 
does not affect the future of our country. 

The fact that the war was prolonged and 
exhaustive in its character has its compen- 



334 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

sations, and among them the fact that the 
world now understands that the nation will 
make every possible sacrifice to maintain 
its unity. Its triumph was not an accident 
that might not again occur, but was the 
reward of unstinted expenditures of life and 
money. 

Efforts to demonstrate that entire har- 
mony exists between the sections are gratu- 
itous and often mischievous, because irrita- 
tion may be developed. We ought not to 
protest our friendship effusively, as it may 
be construed as betraying doubt and sus- 
picion, but in unobtrusive ways do justice 
to all concerned, trusting to the healing in- 
fluences of time to seal with affection the 
Union that has been decreed by fate. 

During the past fifty years a wondrous 
change has been wrought almost unper- 
ceived in our legislative and administrative 
methods. The telegraph and press as dis- 
seminators of news have been great factors 
in promoting the growth of democracy in 
the broadest and noblest sense of the term. 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 335 

The people are now in close touch with 
current events, and popular conclusions are 
quickly formed and can be measured by 
acute observers. Executive officials and 
legislators now wait for the development of 
public opinion before committing them- 
selves to new policies, and it is important 
that the people be thoroughly grounded in 
their convictions upon fundamental ques- 
tions and principles. They will not then 
sanction measures which when taught by 
experience their sober judgment will dis- 
approve. 

War is always popular with the thought- 
less elements of society. They are invari- 
ably ready to enter upon it with light hearts 
and are generally the first to falter when 
the task becomes crucial. The war was 
sustained in the North in its darkest hours 
by the element which deplored its com- 
mencement, but regarded the path of vic- 
tory as the only way of escape that could 
be considered. For many years after the 
Rebellion the blessings of peace were ap- 



336 MUSKET AND SWORD. 

predated by the vast majority of our popu- 
lation, but now the horrors and burdens of 
war are largely forgotten, and the pomp, 
enthusiasm and glory, that in the imagina- 
tion of the multitude enshroud it, have 
undue sway. 

It was the fate of an immense number to 
perish for their country. It is also glorious 
for the youth of the present day to live for 
it, in such a way that it may lead in the 
beneficent paths of peace. 

When war is once entered upon the pres- 
tige of our arms must be sustained, and the 
defenders of our flag must fight with the 
determination to win or die. They will 
have glorious traditions for their guidance. 
The soldiers of the Civil War left the mili- 
tary history of our country a noble heritage 
of deeds of valor and devotion that will 
forever be an inspiring influence with their 
successors. 

I have found my self-imposed task of 
preparing this narrative quite laborious, 
but in many respects agreeable. When 



MUSKET AND SWORD. 337 

the veteran dilates upon his campaigns and 
feels that perchance his readers may be ap- 
preciative his heart glows with pleasure. 
'* His Heaven commences ere the world be past." 
I hope these pages may be regarded as an 
acceptable contribution to the literature of 
the war and add to the respect entertained 
for the memory of my comrades who have 
gone to their reward. 



THE END. 



24 



INDEX. 



Ackerman, Lt. Geo. H., 

215, 300, 318 
Alabama, Sixth Infy., 221 
Alexandria, Va., 

9, 10, 23, 24, 42, 162 
Alger, Chas. F., 226, 239 
Andrew, Gov. John A., 

3, 320 
Antietam, 93 

Artillery, Union, 

described, 199 

Ashby's Gap, 135 

Atlanta, Ga., 295, 306 

Ayers, Lt., i8th Mass., 134 
Badeau, Gen. Adam, 235 
Baltimore, 310 

Bangor, Maine, 119 

Banks, Gen. N. P., 295 
Barnes, Col. James, 

98, 113, 114, 317 
Bartlett, Gen. J. J., 169 
Baxter, J. H. Sergt. 

and Capt., 

30, 66, 85, 180, 254, 263 
Beaver Dam Creek, 54, 55 
Belgian recruits, 302 

Bell, Lt. Arthur W., 283 
Bell, Dr. Luther V., 11 
Benjamin, Samuel, 55 

Benson, Lt. and Adjt. 

Fred S., 118 

Berlin, Md.. 150 

Bethesda Church, Va., 

252, 260 
Beverly Ford, Va., 

153, 155, 156, 175 



Beauregard, Gen. P. T., 

193 
Bigelow, Dr., 121 

Blackburn Ford, Va., 16 
Blaisdell, Col. Wm., 283 
Bonds of U. S. abroad, 196 
Boston, Mass., 311 

Boston Common, 31 

Bourne, Lt. Robt. T., 
160, 211, 215, 290, 296, 
298, 299, 300 
Brandy Plain, Va., 133,156 
Brastow, Capt. Geo. O., 4 
Breckinridge, Gen. John 

C, 27 

Bristow, Va., 80, 158 

Bull Ruu, Va., 14, 16, 24, 83 
Burnside, Gen. Ambrose 
E., 

84, 93, 103, 108, III, 293 
Burt, Maj. Mason W., 

228, 230, 238, 250 
Butterfield, Gen. Daniel, 

34, 113, 124 
Casey, Gen. Silas, 52, 315 
Cass, Col. Thomas, 34, 35 
Catlett's Station, Va., 156 
Cavalry Vidette, 190 

Centreville, Va., 

14, 23, 24, 83 
Chambers, Lt. John G., 

17, 20 
Chancellorsville, Va., 

122, 132 
Chantilly, Va., 154 

Chaplains, 182 



340 



INDEX. 



Charles City Cross Roads, 

62 
Chickahominy River, 

51, 52, 53, 59, 77, 273 
Chickamauga, Tenn, 155 
Clothing allowance, 91 
Clarke, A. J., 220 

Conant, Capt. Charles 

O., 127 

Concord, Mass., 20 

Connecticut ist Heavy 

Artillery, 49 

Corps Badges, 124 

Cowdin, Col. Robt., 16 
Crane, Chas. E., 46 

Crawford, Gen. S. W., 

218, 321 
Culpepper Ford, Va., 168 
Cumberland, Va., 48 

Cunningham, Maj. James 

A., 241 

Davis, Sergt. and Capt. 

Benj., 176, 215, 222. 223 
Davis, Edward, 100, 118 
Davis I^t. Frank, 225 

Davis, Jefferson, 55, 193 
Davis, Ivt. Marcus M., 

163, 175, 223, 251 
Davis, Lt. Robert, 

176, 203, 225 
Davis, Capt. Walter, 296 
Dorchester, Mass., 129, 130 
Drum, Lt., 2nd Regular 

Infantry, 224 

Durgin, Corporal A. D., 
Early, Gen. J. A., 240 

285, 295, 296, 305, 313 
Edwards Ferry, Poto- 
mac River, 136 
Edmands, Col. 32nd 

Mass., 297, 306 

Eleventh Corps, 

130, 131, 155, 201, 331 
Ellsworth, Col. Elmer 

E., 9 



Ericson, John, 48 

Ewell, Gen. R. S., 235 

Fairfax, Va., 42, 160 

Fair Oaks, Va., 49 

Falmouth Va., 78, 79 

Fants's Place, 185 

Farragut, Admiral David 

G., 43 

Field, Lt. and Capt. F. 

K., 68, 70, 100, 215, 222 
Fifth Corps, 56, 60, 65, 75, 

106, 109, 130, 138, 141, 

149, 155, 158, 163, 165, 

178, 198, 232, 248, 292, 

296. 
First Corps, 130, 198, 251 
Flood, Ned., 114 

Floyd, Wm., 53 

Fort Ellsworth, Va., 10 
Fortress Monroe, 

5, 6, 42, 47, 281 
Fort Sumter, 3 

Foster, Gen. John G., 103 
Franklin, Gen. W. B., 11 
Frederick,Md., 91, 136, 137 
Fredericksburg, Va., 

Ill, 113 
Freeman of Freeman's 

Ford, 177, 183, 184 

Gafifney, Corporal John, 62 
Gaines Mills, 48, 56, 60 
Germania Ford, 175, 206 
Gettysburg, Pa., 132 

Gilligan, Hugh, 210, 230 
Gleason, Col. 25th New 

York, 133 

Glendale, Va., 65 

Globe Tavern, Weldon 

R. R., 296, 305 

Gooch, Hon. D. W., 315 
Gove, Col. Jesse A., 

35, 40, 59, 304 
Grant, Gen. U. S., 

194, 197, 212, 213, 216 
GriflSn, Gen. Chas., 60, 69, 



INDEX. 



341 



96, 191, 193, 227, 237, 251, 
275, 300, 307, 321 

Gregory, Col. K. M., 286, 

289, 297, 298, 307, 308, 309 

320, 321 
Griswold, Ivt.-Col. and 

Col. C. E., 61, 83 

Gwynne, Col. James, 190 
Hall's Hill, Va., 34, 84 
Hampton, Va., 43, 77 

Hampton Roads, 43 

Hancock, Gen. W. S., 82, 

142, 148, 232, 235, 296, 

301, 304, 
Hanley, Ivt.-Col. 9tli 

Mass., 269 

Hanover Court House, 48 
Harper's Ferry, Va., 107 
Harrington, Dan, 71, 72 
Harrison's Ivanding 65, 77 
Haseltine, Sergt. Chas, 127 
Hayes, Col. Joseph, 147, 166 
Hays, Gen. Alex., 159 

Heintzleman's Division, 11 
Heintzleman, Gen. S.P., 21 
Hill, Gen. A. P., 97, 298, 301 
Hill, Richard, 135 

Hoke, Gen. R. F., 298 

Hooker, Gen. Joseph, 51, 

52, 75,76, 80,84, 113, 123, 

126, 131, 132, 155, 216, 
Howard, Gen. Oliver 

O., 131 

Humphreys, Gen. A. 

A., 235 

Hunt, Gen. Henry J., 

i99> 285 
Jackson, Gen. T. J. or 

Stonewall,54, 79, 131, 133 
Jericho Ford, 237 

Johnston, Gen. Joe, 

25, 193, 216 
Jones, David L., 266, 280 
Kearney, Gen. Phil. 

75, 76, 84, 153 



Kenfield, Sergt. J. W., 

85, 117, 142, 280 
Keys, Maj. H. W., 214 

Knapsacks, 41 

Knowles, Maj. O. B., 289 
Lacy's House, 206 

Ladd, G. H., 70 

Lanios, C. T., 210 

Lawrence, Col. S. C, 20 
Lee, Gen. Robt., 7, 59, 86, 
95, 104, 132, 135, 142, 147, 

148, 155, 161, 164, 167, 
170, 174, 204, 207, 213, 
247, 285, 296 

Lee, Lieut., 186 

Lincoln, President, 3, 9, 12, 

37, 74, 106, 127, 192, 217, 

313, 316, 323 
Liquor Question, 327 

Little Round Top, 141 

Longstreet, Gen. James, 

47, 104, 134 
Losses, 16, 25, 120, 131, 

149, 236, 271, 286 
McDowell, Gen. Irwin, 

8, 24, 27, 80 
McClellen, Gen. Geo. B., 

59. 63, 75, 85, 104, 106, 

108, 109, 313. 
McKee, Lt. 2nd Regular 

Infantry, 189 

Magruder, J. B., 15 

Maine, 2nd Inf. Vols., 

34, 49, 83, 87, 118, 133 
Maine 20th Vol. Inf., 317 
Malvern Hill, 64 

Manassas, 16, 42, 80, 157 
Martin, Capt. A. P., 31 
Martindale, Gen. J. H., 

34, 69 
Martis, Sergeant Geo., 116 
Mass. ist Heavy Art., 233 
Mass. ist Vol. Cavalry, 135 
Mass. ist Vol. Infy., 16 
Mass. 2nd Sharpshooters,30 



342 



INDEX. 



Mass. 3rd Battery, 31, 49 
Mass. 3rd Vol. Militia, 

6, 290 
Mass. 4tli Vol. Militia, 6 
Mass. 5th Vol. Militia, 

20, 61 
Mass. 6tli Vol. Militia, 5, 7 
Mass. 9th Vol. Infy., 
34, 82, 130, 206, 227, 239, 
242, 260, 269, 271 
Mass. nth Vol. Infy., 11,17 
Mass. I2th Vol. Infy., 161 
Mass. iSth Vol. Infy., 

82, 87, 134, 147, 166 
Mass. 22nd Vol. Infy., 
29. 46, 59.66, 82, 87, no, 
165, 176, 205, 209, 222, 296 
Mass. 32nd Vol. Infy., 
82, 206, 227, 230, 241, 243, 
260, 279, 283, 297, 302, 
307, 314, 317 
Mass. 54th Inf., 320 

Meade, Gen. Geo. G., 
20, 76, 80, 125, 136, 139, 
142, 147, 161, 164, 167, 
212, 259, 273, 284, 309, 

331 
Mechanicsville, Va., 54 
Merrimac, The, 42, 43 

Michigan ist Vol. Infy, 

81, 317 
Michigan 4th Vol. Infy., 

206, 227, 259, 267, 274 
Michigan i6th Vol. Infy, 

317 
Miles, Gen. N. A., 85, 302 
Millen, James, 55 

Mine Run, 170 

Minnesota istVol. Infy, 11 
Monitor, The, 42 

Morell, Gen. G. W., 34, 56 
Morrissey, Sergt. Daniel, 

85, 116, 
Mosher, Sergt. K. N., 157 
Mulhern, Wm., 99, 129, 240 



National Credit, 19C 

National Road, 92 

New York City, 5, 31 

N. Y. Fire Zouaves, 9 

N. Y. 13th Vol. Infy., 

40, 56, 57, 87, no, 133 
N. Y. 25th Vol. Infy., 

34, 87, 133 
N- Y. 71st Vol. Infy., 23 
N. Y. 187th Vol. Inf., 317 
N. Y. i88th Vol. Inf., 317 
Ninth Corps, 

207, 292, 306, 307 
Nowell, W. H., 57, 58 

Ofl&cers Confederate 

Army, 204 

0'Neil,Maj.ii8thPenn. 216 
Old Glory, 31 

Pearson, Col. A. L., 

299, 309, 317 
Peeble's Farm, 306 

Pennsylvania Reserves, 

54, 55, 217, 219, 259 
Penn. 21st Vol, Cavalry, 

dismounted, 289, 297, 298 
Penn. 45th Infy. Vols., 94 
Penn. 62nd Infy. Vols., 
70, 71, 72, 73, 206, 227, 
286 
Penn. 83rd Vol. Inf., 317 
Penn. 91st Infy. Vols., 

286, 289, 308, 317 
Penn. ii8th Vol. Infy., 

87, 98, 99, loi, 210, 317 
Penn. 155th Vol. Infy., 

279, 291, 308, 314, 317 
Penn. Recruits, 303 

Perry, Elbridge, 209 

Philadelphia, 29, 32, 311 
Phillips, Capt. Chas. A., 
5th Mass. Battery, 

265, 276 
Pittsburg, Penn., 257 

Pontoons described, 107 
Pope, Gen. John, 75, 82, 84 



INDEX. 



343 



Porter, Gen. F. J., 34, 59^ 

76, 81, 82, 109, no, III 

Prescott, Capt. and Col. 

Geo. L., 21, 32, 264, 278 
Haines, Gen., 47 

Rankin, Corp. Daniel, 250 
Rappahannock Station 

(Battle), 165 

Rations, 89 

Rawlins, Getu, 26 

Reams Station, 301 

Recruits from Confeder- 
ates, 303 
Regular Troops, 2nd 

Infy., 176, 188, 201 

Regular Troops, 3rd 

Infy, 201 

Regular Troops, 4th 

Infy, 201 

Regular Troops, 6tli 

Infy., 201 

Regular Troops, loth 

Infy., 35, 201 

Richardson, James, 

171, 284 
Rhode Island 12th Vol. 

Infy., 115 

Ricketts's Battery, 15, 18 
Ricketts, Gen. J. B., 19, 20 
Roberts, Col. C. W., 

(2nd Maine) 79 

Roby, Lieut. Geo. W., 246 
Rock, Capt. John, 277 

Roxbury, Mass., 171 

Russell, J. T., 158 

Sargent, O. H. P., 46 

Scott, Col. Thomas, 330 
Scott, Gen. Winfield S., 

6, 27 
Second Corps, 130, 155, 

157, 158, 159, 232, 170, 282 
Sedgwick, Gen. John, 

20,75 
Seitz, Ivt. John (62 Penn.), 
257, 261, 270, 287, 288 



Seward, W. H., 12 

Shaw, Col. R. G., 320 

Shepardstown Ford, 97 
Sheridan, Gen. Phil., 

199, 305 
Sherman, Gen. W. T., 

25, 217, 295, 305 
Sherwin, Lt., Maj., hi.- 
Col. Thos., 55, 78, 139, 
166, 177, 178, 180, 296, 301 
Sam, (colored), 184 

Sickles, Gen. Dan., 138 
Simmons, Dr. M. E., 122 
Sixth Corps, 20, 130, 156, 

165, 167, 211, 232, 295 
Skirmishing described, 228 
Somerville, Mass., 3, 121 
Stearns, Dr. I. H., 122 

Steele, U. W. H., 127, 128 
Steele, Geo., 261 

Stuart, Gen. J. E. B., 

133, 135 
Sumner. Gen. E. V., 

51, 52, 53, 75, 76, 108 
Sweitzer, Col. J. B., 236, 
251, 252, 256, 257, 266, 
274, 284, 287, 288 
Sykes, Gen. Geo., 

56, 79, 158, 163 
Teague, Capt. G. H., 212 
Tents, (Shelter), 43 

Third Corps, 

130, 131, 140, 142, 165, 167 
Tilton, Col. W. S., 

78, 98, 113, 139, 154, 178, 
206, 238, 243, 253, 259 
Tucker, Capt. B. W., 171 
Twelvth Corps, 155, 202 
Twentieth Corps, 155 

Tyler, Rev. C. M., 180 

Tvler, Gen. David, 25 

Venable, U.-Col. (Confed- 
erate), 174 
Walker, Sergt. Daniel, 

230, 253 



344 



INDEX. 



Ward, Luke, 46 

Wardwell, Capt. David 

K., 61 

Warren, Gen. G. K., 
142, 158, 170, 172, 198, 
237, 247, 296, 322 
Warren, Thomas, 

258, 276, 278, 287 
Webb, Gen. Alexander 
S., 235 

V Webster, Col. Fletcher, 

161 
Welch, Col. (i6th Mich.), 

306 

Weldon R. R., . "^ 296 

Wellington, J. C.,' 30 

Wenzel, Sergt. Phil., 

85, 113, 115, 171, 266, 315 



Will, John, 20 

Winthrop, Hon. R. C, T 
Wilson, Sergt. Andrew, [ 
175, 208, 223, 226, 22c 
Wilson, Capt. (2nd Maine 

115, 119, I2( 

Wilson, Senator Henry, 
16, 30. 35. 120, 178,312,31; 
Wood, Fernando, { 

Woodward, W. T., 129, 14: 
Worden, Commodore, 4 
Wright, Gen. H. C, 2( 
Wright, Sergt. James, 

85, 112, 117, 143, 14. 
York, (Private 2nd Maine 

119, I2( 

Yorktown, Va., 44, 4: 



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